A S H E S (discontinued)
by Galaxy of Stolen Memories
Summary: Sometimes when you have no where left to go, instead of simply finding a place to stay, you have to make one. Courage, loyalty and co-operation will be tested. Danger lurks just around the corner. And just a little spark started it. Now all that's left is a pile of ashes.
1. Chapter 1

**A_S_H_E_S**

Orange flames licked hungrily at the massive oak trees. The stars still shone above the haze of grey smoke. The wind buffeted the flames. The cats that were still alive were yowling and screeching; looking for a way out of their burning camp.

"We need to get out of here!" gasped Sunfeather, a golden she cat. She looked around frantically for an exit as the flames caught onto the trees above their heads. A white she cat named Dovesong, her pelt stained with ash, raced up to Sunfeather.

"But where can we go?" she coughed, inhaling more smoke. So many of their precious clan was dead.

"I don't know," replied the golden cat. "We have to hurry! It's too late to save our clanmates!" The white she cat gazed around her beloved camp one last time. To her surprise, Hollyshade ran towards them. They weren't clearly weren't expecting another survivor.

"Let's go," she rasped. Sunfeather, raced forward to a gap in the bright orange flames. Dovesong and Hollyshade followed her closely.

"Goodbye, IvyClan," meowed the golden she cat as she raced away from the inferno; her friends following her. An eerie wail echoed through the night.

. . .

Hollyshade panted, flopping down onto the soft grass.

"Sunfeather…" rasped Dovesong. Sunfeather turned, gasping for air, as she leaned against a tall tree.

"What is it?" she asked. The three cats were resting near the HazelClan border. Moonlight shone through the gaps in the trees. Hollyshade's mind was whirling with grief. _Our Clan… it's gone. _

"We… we have to leave. We're not safe here. The forest fire is going to catch up to us," gasped Dovesong. Her grey flecked pelt was bristling.

"You're right," began Hollyshade, noticing that her silver pelt was nearly black from soot. The smell of herbs that clung to her pelt after her stay in the medicine den had been replaced with the tang of smoke. "If we stay here, we'll die. IvyClan is already dead." _There's only us left, _she thought bitterly.

Sunfeather sighed. "I know, Hollyshade. We have to keep going, and even warn HazelClan. Then maybe they can flee in time, before the fire destroys their territory as well." Hollyshade nodded, but she doubted the stubborn leader of HazelClan would listen to them. The cats rose to their paws again. Dovesong was limping; her pain was clear in her green eyes. They trotted deeper into enemy territory. Hollyshade was sure she could hear the ominous roaring fire behind them. Dovesong winced as she twisted her paw on a rock.

"Mouse-dung," she hissed. "I'm okay, let's keep going." Hollyshade felt a pang of sympathy for Dovesong. But it was nothing compared to the grief she felt for her lost Clan.

The survivors reached the HazelClan camp. It was bordered by thick bramble bushes that seemed to keep out all.

"Fire! Fire! You have to flee!" yowled Hollyshade. There were muffled noises inside the camp. A muscular cat strode from the entrance, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"Get out of our territory and go back to your own!" he hissed, his black fur bristling. "What right do you have-" He was cut off by Dovesong.

"Ebonystar, you don't understand! Our territory was destroyed by a forest fire, it's heading this way right now!" pleaded Dovesong, favouring her injured paw.

"Get off. I don't believe you," the black leader mewed, flicking his tail. Warriors strode from the dense foliage around the camp. Grief almost swamped Hollyshade as she saw the HazelClan warriors. _We used to be like that. _

"But can't you see! We're covered in ash! You can even see the fire now!" interrupted Hollyshade. Some of the HazelClan warriors' eyes widened as they saw the smoke and orange light behind the three she cats.

"Get off!" spat Ebonystar. "Even if there is a fire, HazelClan shall not leave!" Some warriors cheered in agreement.

"Fine," hissed Sunfeather. "But at least tell AspenClan. If you don't the fire will spread and their blood will be on your claws." The third clan's lush green grass and trees would quickly succumb to the hungry orange flames roaring behind them. It was obvious Sunfeather couldn't believe that the stubborn black-furred leader was sacrificing his clan for his pride; her eyes were wide and disbelieving.

Ebonystar leaped at the golden warrior, his long claws glinting in the moonlight. She jumped out of the way and flicked her tail, fleeing into the forest, her tail streaming behind her. Dovesong and Hollyshade quickly followed her, listening to the fading growls of HazelClan.

The IvyClan she cats raced through the undergrowth, heading in the direction of the opposite HazelClan border to the fire. Once they crossed this, they would be in unclaimed territory. _Once we go that way, we'll be away from the Clans forever._

"Where do we go?" gasped Hollyshade terror rising inside her. Sunfeather shook her head.

"I don't know. I'm sure by the time the fire has burned out there will be nothing left of the territories. There is no point in going back there," she mewed sadly, her ashy pelt bristling.

"But we still need somewhere to go, the fire won't burn out until at least tomorrow morning!" Hollyshade pressed. She felt slightly soothed by the wind ruffling her pelt as she ran; though sadness and shock still lingered. _And it probably always will, _she thought.

"I know that there's a river on the other side of the border," panted Dovesong, her white tail streaming behind her. "The fire shouldn't cross it; we'll be safe there for the rest of the night." Hollyshade nodded, seeing Sunfeather do the same.

"We'll go there then," Sunfeather decided. Hollyshade raced ahead of the group. She was a natural leader, and had been in the running for the deputy position in IvyClan. Dovesong followed her, as did Sunfeather. Loss seemed to hang like a dense fog over the group; their beloved home had been destroyed. The Clans had lived there for countless seasons, and now the lush forests were doomed.

. . .

The cats approached the river. Its brown water swirled over rocks and around fallen branches. The river was around three tree-lengths wide.

"We'll have to swim across," fretted Hollyshade, eying the river. "Is your paw okay, Dovesong?" The white she cat had been limping heavily, leaving a trail of blood on HazelClan's territory.

Dovesong nodded. "There's a thorn in it, but we don't have enough time to pull it out. I think the cold water will help." Sunfeather nodded in agreement. They padded down to the sandy bank.

"I'll go first," meowed Hollyshade uncertainly. She put a paw into the water, flinching back from the coldness. Then she plunged into the rapidly flowing river and slowly swam over to the other side, fighting against the strong current. She hauled herself out, shaking her pelt. It shone in the moonlight; its glossiness restored. Hollyshade watched as Sunfeather swam over after her. When she climbed out, her golden pelt had been cleaned as well.

Dovesong was the only cat left to swim across the river. By her look of terror, Hollyshade could tell that she could hear the fire behind her now. _And I can see it, _thought Hollyshade grimly. The light from the fire shone into the sky, illuminating the cloud of deadly smoke. Slowly, Dovesong stepped into the cold water. Even though it was greenleaf, the water was freezing; Hollyshade had learnt from her swim across. Dovesong winced slightly as her paw nearly rolled on a loose rock. She started to swim across the river, just holding out against the current.

Hollyshade and Sunfeather watched anxiously as they saw the amber flames above the treetops on the other side of the river.

"Hurry!" called Hollyshade; her terror made her want to collapse on the ground. Dovesong swam faster, holding back a yowl of pain. Just as she reached the bank; the trees on the other side of the river caught alight. Sunfeather grabbed Dovesong's scruff and hauled her out of the river.

"We made it," Hollyshade gasped, finally allowing herself to flop down onto the sand. Her sides heaved for air. Sunfeather's eyes reflected the bright flames on the other side as she gazed across the water. Hollyshade watched as Dovesong collapsed on the ground, nestling her injured paw.

There was a crash as a tree fell on the opposite bank. The she cats were too tired to react.

"Oh StarClan," whispered Hollyshade, glancing up at the sky. The cloud of billowing smoke that had risen into the air had somehow grown even larger. "How could this happen?" The silver she cat closed her eyes tightly. _Those ashes up there… swirling around… they're free, but they're our clanmates. How can anything be the same ever again?_

Dovesong licked her paw gently. "Are you sure it's okay?" asked Sunfeather. Dovesong just nodded. Hollyshade opened her eyes again.

"Just before the fire came, when I was in the medicine den," she choked, remembering. "I saw… I saw Berryflower giving Splashpaw some herbs for his wrenched paw." Sunfeather bowed her head in grief. Hollyshade had been in the medicine den for a check-up on a scratch that she had received from a bramble bush. The three cats were probably the only survivors of the deadly fire; and now they lay on the sandy bank of a river instead of in their warm mossy nests.

"We can look for something for your paw tomorrow, Dovesong," Sunfeather rasped. Hollyshade nodded, closing her eyes again. Dovesong's breathing slowed, showing she was asleep. Sunfeather lay down on the bank, huddling against her clanmates. Hollyshade opened her eyes again, staring at the opposite river bank. The last thing she saw before blackness claimed her were the trees on HazelClan territory crumbling into ash.

. . .

Hollyshade watched as Sunfeather blinked, opening her amber eyes. Dovesong was awake too, grooming her fur. Hollyshade gazed across the border, her eyes widening in sadness.

"Do you think… do you think that we should check if any of the territories survived?" Dovesong asked hesitantly.

"I… I don't think so. There was a fairly strong wind blowing, the fire wouldn't have stopped at the borders," mewed Hollyshade. _And I don't want to see the ashes and charred bodies of our Clan, _Hollyshade thought, the familiar pang of grief shaking her. The territories used to be joined together by dense forest; it was unlikely that any of the territories had remained untouched by the deadly flames. Sunfeather gazed across the river. Hollyshade did the same and felt her heart sinking as she saw the ash that was HazelClan.

"Do you think we should keep moving? I don't think there's going to be much prey over here," suggested Sunfeather. Dovesong looked around at the land they were on. It had few trees and many smooth, grey boulders. Hollyshade nodded. It would be wiser to keep moving and leave this place behind; so that they wouldn't have to cope with the horrifying truth that they would never patrol that land again.

"Are you okay with going on, Dovesong?" Hollyshade asked anxiously, wanting to move on. The grey flecked she cat nodded.

"I pulled out the large thorn in it this morning. It also feels much better after a night's rest," she replied.

"Okay," mewed Hollyshade, standing up. Sunfeather and Dovesong rose to their paws, stretching. Dovesong cast one last loving glance back over the river.

"Goodbye…" Hollyshade whispered, almost choking on the lump in her throat. Sunfeather dipped her head.

"We will never forget the clans that once lived here," she added. Hollyshade shut her eyes, sending a silent prayer up to StarClan. _Please… tell us what to do. _

The silver she cat bowed her head, then opening her eyes, turned and padded in the opposite direction of their former home. A strong gust of wind blew a cloud of ashes over the river. Hollyshade sighed in sadness, gazing at the unknown land in front of them. None of the cats had left the clans' territory before. There had always been plenty of prey, and no cat had been this way since the time the Clans were formed. It was said that the Clans came from a Twolegplace a long way away. The land they were walking on now looked like a giant cat had scooped up a pawful of boulders and strewn them across the ground; as well as jabbing some trees into the dry earth.

The she cats walked slowly along the land. Sunfeather's head was bowed in sadness. Dovesong had stopped limping and determination was glowing in her green eyes. Hollyshade was leading the group, padding along confidently. But inside she was still reeling from the fire.

"I'm sure we're going to meet some rogues," she announced, skirting a smaller rock. "They shouldn't cause too much trouble, but we should definitely keep our fighting skills sharp."

Sunfeather mewed her agreement. "Do any of you know some herbs?" she asked. "We'll need to know a few; because some time or another we're going to be injured." She glanced at Dovesong. Hollyshade shook her head.

"Maybe if we meet some friendly loners, they could tell us some," suggested Dovesong, only half joking. She trudged along steadily now that the thorn had been removed. Sunfeather nodded, and Hollyshade continued to lead the survivors across the barren land.

. . .

"Forest!" exclaimed Sunfeather, her eyes shining. Hollyshade saw the trees and tried to keep calm instead of bouncing around like and excited kit. The cats' natural territory was the forest; they felt most comfortable amongst the dense foliage. A line of trees had appeared ahead. They appeared to be pine trees. HazelClan had the most pine trees out of the three clans, but any forest was enough for the IvyClan she cats.

The group reached the forest. Hollyshade scented the air, breathing in the scent of the forest.

"Mm," she sighed. "Do you want to camp here for the night? I still don't think this is the right place for us to be." The sun was sinking below the horizon, sending shades of red and orange through the forest. Hollyshade felt seasons older already.

"Sure," agreed Sunfeather.

"It doesn't look that bad," added Dovesong. Hollyshade nodded and led the group into the pine forest. The prickly carpet of pine needles covering the ground felt like the lushest green grass after walking all day on the hard terrain.

The she cats trudged through the forest, looking for a good place to stay the night. Dovesong spotted a herb, borage Hollyshade thought, and picked some for her paw. She chewed it up and bound the poultice to her paw with some thick cobwebs they found in a fallen trunk. Finally, the moon rose and the sun disappeared. Cold, white moonlight had replaced the fiery shades of the sunset. A nearby bush rustled, spooking the cats. Hollyshade watched as Sunfeather stalked forward quietly, keeping her belly fur and tail from brushing on the ground. Her dappled pelt shone in the light of the moon. She stalked even closer, creeping along like a snake. Then she pounced. There was a muffled squeak as Sunfeather gave a blow to the prey, killing it. She turned around with a blackbird in her jaws.

"Well done!" meowed Hollyshade. "That should feed us well." Dovesong nodded. They continued on, searching for a place to rest. Nowhere seemed to have the safeness, warmth and protection that was often needed for a den. _I miss the Clan so, so much already, _thought Hollyshade sadly.

"How about we just stop here," Dovesong suggested wearily, gesturing with her tail at a space near some pine roots.

"Alright," agreed Hollyshade. They curled up and huddled together on the carpet of needles. Dovesong and Sunfeather were asleep within heartbeats. But Hollyshade lay awake, gazing up at the tall tree tops, with eyes that reflected the moon.

**AN: Wow. Now, this idea just burst into my head last night. I nearly finished the chapter and I was going to post it then, but I wanted to reach 2000 words. Which, by working on this morning, I did. This is Ashes, the story of three she cats. Um… this chapter wasn't meant to be in any cat's point of view, it's kind of just a prologue. But still chapter one, which is why I didn't make it a lot shorter. In chapter two, I'm going to switch to the main character's POV, and then when I feel like its necessary, I'll switch to another. I won't do review answers in the story, I'll just message you. But if you're an anonymous reviewer I probably will. Now, you may think that this chapter was a little boring. I do. But don't worry, the next chapter should be more interesting because it will be in a POV, and the plot's going to start I guess. Well, please review on what you thought! Even if I get none, I'm going to continue this. :D Have a good day, peoplezz.**

******Edit: I majorly edited this chapter; I didn't like how it was written and stuff, plus some of my readers didn't so of course I'll change things! If you don't like something, just tell me, mkay? I added like, 400 more words! oAo haha. Anyway, I hope that you liked the edit version**

**-Issy**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two - Hollyshade**

_A silver she cat stood nervously in a starry forest, in front of a sandy tom. Stars danced in his eyes and twinkled on his pelt. The moon shone down from above; dappling the ground. The she cat shuffled her paws nervously. _

"_Why am I here, Fallenstar?" asked the she cat. The sand-coloured tom purred comfortingly._

"_Don't worry, Hollyshade. You haven't come to join us. StarClan has a task for you." Even though he said this warmly, horror and misery lingered in his sparkling green eyes._

"_Is the rest of StarClan okay?" asked Hollyshade, feeling worry rise inside her. What would they do without StarClan to guide their paws?_

"_We are all shocked. We cannot believe what has happened; that a small spark destroyed the territories so quickly. So many came to join us last night," he meowed, bowing his head. Hollyshade bowed hers too, closing her eyes tightly._

"_So are we the only survivors?" she asked._

"_StarClan cannot say. We were too busy…" meowed the tom, the former IvyClan leader. _

"_It's so sad to see you here… you were only leader for a few moons," rasped Hollyshade. _

"_But they were good moons, probably the best in my life. If I could go back in time, I wouldn't change a thing in my life," Fallenstar mewed, his eyes clouding with grief. "But StarClan has a task for you." Hollyshade nodded. _

"_It's important, isn't it?" she asked._

"_It's very important," purred Fallenstar, the grief in his eyes lightening. "StarClan is confident that you can do it. You all showed your strength as you fled the forest fire." Hollyshade nodded again._

"_You must travel, rescuing and protecting cats as you go. You must create a new Clan, stronger than the others were. But beware of the enemy." continued Fallenstar._

_Hollyshade's eyes widened. "But…" _

"_We know that you can do it. You have loyalty, courage and strength. And when you make the new clan, you shall be the leader. I must go now, daughter," meowed Fallenstar, resting his head on top of hers. "Go safely." _

_Hollyshade shut her eyes tightly. "Goodbye, Father." _

Hollyshade blinked, opening her blue eyes. She panicked; not recognizing where she was. Her silver fur bristled and she lashed her tail. Hollyshade calmed when she took in Dovesong and Sunfeather huddled up next to her. The sun shone through the canopy of the trees, dappling the ground with light. Hollyshade could hear birds chirping and a light breeze was blowing through the pine forest.

Dovesong raised her head. "Good morning, Hollyshade. How did you sleep?" she asked kindly. Hollyshade stifled a mrrow of laughter as she saw that Dovesong's pelt was ruffled and sticking up in all directions.

"It was… Look, I need to tell Sunfeather too." Dovesong nodded in understanding. Back in the Clan, Dovesong had been the best hunter, not fighter. She was always compassionate and kind. The white she cat nudged Sunfeather, who had been sleeping soundly. Sunfeather lifted her gold dappled head, slowly blinking her amber eyes.

"Are we moving on again now? I don't think we should stay here," she mewed drowsily.

"Hollyshade has something to tell us," meowed Dovesong. She nodded to Hollyshade.

She swallowed. _I have to tell them the right way, _she thought.

"Last night, I dreamed I was in StarClan's forests. Fallenstar…" she choked in sadness for her father. He had been such a young leader, Hollyshade had only become a warrior around two moons ago, as had Dovesong. Dovesong and Hollyshade were not kin; but Hollyshade had been slowed down by an injury, so they had their ceremony at the same time. Dovesong was slightly younger than Hollyshade.

"Fallenstar came to me and told me that StarClan didn't know of any other survivors." Hollyshade swallowed, continuing. "He said the StarClan have a great task for us. We have to rescue and protect cats from 'the enemy' as we travel, and build a new Clan, stronger than the others."

Dovesong gazed at her with wide green eyes. Sunfeather still looked half asleep.

"We have to keep going," Hollyshade prompted.

"I can't believe that StarClan thought we could do this!" exclaimed Dovesong. "How can three of us, just three, build a whole new Clan?"

"I believe that we can do it," meowed Sunfeather quietly. "We can't waste any time with this 'enemy' hanging about, and what harm can it do to try?"

"Well… I suppose we can try…" admitted Dovesong. Hollyshade nodded. She was relieved that her friends had decided to come; she wouldn't have made them if they didn't want to.

"Alright. I've heard that there's a fairly big Twolegplace a few days travel north from here. If there is an enemy around, he'll probably be there or head there," she suggested, rising to her paws. She stretched her stiff limbs with a purr of contentment.

"That sounds like the place to go," agreed Sunfeather. The she cats looked at Dovesong.

"Okay," she sighed.

They started to travel north, based on the sun's position. Hollyshade felt anxiety and excitement; the coming journey was going to be hard. The IvyClan she cats trotted through the pine forest. Hollyshade let out a purr of laughter as Dovesong's stomach rumbled.

"Maybe we should stop and hunt," she laughed. Sunfeather nodded in agreement.

"Do you want to meet back here before sunhigh?" she suggested. The sun was nearly at its peak; there would be enough time to hunt for prey before midday.

"Yeah," mewed Dovesong, disappearing into the forest. Hollyshade padded softy over the needle carpet with her ears pricked for the sound of prey. After a few minutes, she heard a scuffling noise. Slowly, she slunk along the ground in the hunter's crouch she had learned many moons ago. Hollyshade saw that the prey was a squirrel. _That's good, _she thought, nearing the fluffy animal.

As she neared it, the squirrel lifted its head. Hollyshade pounced, killing it with a blow from her silver paw. She lifted it up in her jaws and started to head back to the meeting place. It was easy to follow her scent back to the den. Dovesong was already waiting there with a small mouse in her paws.

"Good catch!" she praised, her gaze locking on the squirrel. Hollyshade nodded her agreement, dropping the freshkill on the ground.

They waited for a few more minutes. As the sun neared its peak, the golden warrior emerged from the bushes around the den. She had a rabbit clamped in her jaws.

"Wow, you must have been really fast to catch that!" exclaimed Hollyshade. Sunfeather almost glowed with pride. She dropped her prey on the ground; and the she cats settled down to eat.

. . .

They set off again; bellies full of prey. The pine forest appeared to be a good source, especially in greenleaf. Hollyshade thought about their mission. _I think we can do it. I mean, it can't be too hard to recruit some kittypets and loners, right? As for this enemy, we don't really need to worry about them until we cross paths. _She felt some of her tension melt away as she reassured herself that they were going to be fine. But the thought of the destroyed Clans made her feel depressed. _We should have warned AspenClan. They would have fled, unlike HazelClan. _Hollyshade felt guilt settling deep into her stomach. She sighed, continuing to lead the group.

. . .

The sun was halfway between its peak and the horizon when the group emerged from the pine forest. Hollyshade gazed around curiously. She was sure that they were nearing the Twolegplace, maybe when night came they would be able to see its harsh lights in the sky. In front of them was a small lake. The sunlight reflected off its water, casting light over the she cats.

Dovesong padded over to the water, pausing to lap up some water thirstily. Hollyshade followed her, with Sunfeather right behind. She dipped her head and drank some of the water. It was cool and fresh on her tongue, making her feel encouraged about the coming task.

"We'd better keep going. The lake is nice, but we need to keep traveling towards the Twolegplace," Hollyshade announced. Mentally, she noted it as a possible territory for the new Clan. Her companions nodded in agreement.

They continued to walk. The pine forest and lake became a lush, green forest, painfully like IvyClan's. As night came, they looked around for a suitable den. Dovesong's keen eyes picked out a nice space inside some bushes. The cats settled down for the night. Hollyshade sighed, closing her eyes. _What will tomorrow bring?_

. . .

Hollyshade, Dovesong and Sunfeather rose early the next morning, travelling north. They hadn't seen the Twolegplace's lights the night before, so they were still a few days away. Hollyshade set a brisk pace, hoping that her friends could keep up with her. The herbs had worked on Dovesong's paw; she wasn't limping anymore. Hollyshade couldn't smell the ash scent that had lingered on their pelts for the past day or so. The fire had destroyed their territories around two nights ago. She felt the horror she had as she watched her home crumbling into ashes.

Now, it was the third day since the fire started. Three nights had passed, the night the fire had chased them away, the night they stayed in the pine forest and the previous night. Hollyshade could feel the growing tension as they continued in the direction of the Twoleg city.

Sunfeather stepped on a sharp rock as the sun sank on the third day. There hadn't been many rocks around in the green forest, so the cats had been careless about where they were putting their paws.

"Ouch," Sunfeather complained. She held up her golden paw; blood was trickling from a small cut on her pad.

"Let me help," meowed Dovesong immediately, darting over to where cobwebs had been thickly woven inside an old fallen log lying nearby. She put her paw inside and pulled it out again with her precious bundle of cobwebs. Dovesong indicated with her tail to Hollyshade. The silver she cat was confused for a moment; then she spotted a clump of what she thought were dock leaves. Hollyshade trotted over to them and nipped off a few of the thick green stems.

Dovesong took the leaves from Hollyshade and chewed them up. Sunfeather had sat down, but she was still holding her paw up.

"I know it's only a small cut, but we can't have it getting infected," meowed Dovesong, spreading the poultice onto Sunfeather's paw. Then she bound the cobwebs over it.

"Where did you learn that? It might come in useful," asked Sunfeather. Hollyshade smiled; she had been about to ask that question.

"Well, when I was an apprentice I had to stay in the medicine den when I sprained my paw in a rabbit hole. A sharp stone had fallen into the hole as well, and I cut my paw on it. Berryflower put some dock leaves on it and bound it with cobwebs just like that," replied Dovesong. Hollyshade nodded.

"Can we keep going, Sunfeather?" she asked.

Sunfeather flicked her tail. "Sure, but can we go a bit more slowly?"

"Of course," Hollyshade purred. They continued to travel north again, but at a slower pace than before. The forest had turned slightly swampy. Sunfeather was slightly favouring her injured paw. Hollyshade sighed, wondering who was going to be hurt next.

. . .

Night was nearly upon them; the stars were faintly twinkling in the sky above them. Hollyshade was weary, feeling worn down. Their pace had slowed even more than when Sunfeather was injured.

"I think we should rest for the night," meowed Dovesong. Hollyshade nodded; the thought of resting made her feel even more tired.

"Okay," agreed Sunfeather. They found a suitable place for a den; nestled among some bushes where the swampy water wouldn't make them wet. Hollyshade sighed as she settled down next to Dovesong and Sunfeather.

The others were asleep soon after they lay down. Hollyshade stayed awake as usual, thinking about what would come tomorrow. She sharply turned her head as she heard a loud rustle. A nearby bush was swaying, even though there was no breeze. Hollyshade stayed where she was, ears pricked for danger, until sleep finally overcame her.

**Okay, I hope you liked chapter two. It was a bit of a filler, but it had some important information in there at the start. As you can probably tell, Hollyshade is going to be the main character. I'll tell you a little secret CX The next chapter won't be Hollyshade's POV. Mwahaha. Thank you to my reviewers, your comments mean a lot to me. Please review!**

**-Issy**


	3. Chapter 3

Thornshadow trotted through the lush meadow, leading a patrol of muscled, strong warriors. He was leading the moonhigh patrol around AspenClan territory. He opened his jaws, expecting to scent prey. What he scented scared him out of his fur.

"Fire!" he hissed to the patrol. They bristled, eyes widening.

"Are you sure?" asked Brackenfern, a lean brown she cat.

"Of course I'm sure! Scent it yourself!" snapped Thornshadow. _No! The fire can't destroy us! I've worked so hard! _

"I'll go and check where it is," Brackenfern mewed, looking worried.

"No! I'll go and check it; you go back and warn the clan to evacuate!" Thornshadow hissed, turning towards HazelClan territory. He could see thick black smoke rising into the air. Brackenfern nodded slowly.

"Make sure you come right back," she whispered with sorrow in her eyes; leading the patrol away with a flick of her tail. Thornshadow knew that Brackenfern had always had feelings for him. He wasn't sure if he shared them with her though.

Thornshadow raced through his territory; the grass rustling underneath his paws. _After all I've done! I can't let this fire destroy AspenClan!_

He reached the fire. It had nearly crossed the HazelClan border. The bright flames were flickering high into the sky, lighting the tall pine trees on fire. Thornshadow's legs felt weak, as if they would buckle from under him. Suddenly, a huge gust of wind howled through the night, fanning the flames forwards so fast that he nearly got burnt. The dark brown tom let out a yowl and raced in front of the flames; they seemed to be burning straight for the AspenClan camp.

Thornshadow sprinted as hard as he could; the intense heat from the flames urged him on. He skidded to a stop as he saw several dark shapes just in front of him. _The patrol!_

"Brackenfern!" he yowled, running up to her body. Weakly, she blinked her green eyes at him.

"The patrol's dead… the smoke," she rasped. Thornshadow had been standing out of the wind when he reached the fire so the smoke hadn't reached him.

"We have to get you out of here and warn the Clan!" hissed Thornshadow, grabbing Brackenfern's scruff and trying to drag her through the grass.

"I won't make it…" she coughed. "Save yourself." The fire was rapidly nearing the cats. Thornshadow could see that even if he moved Brackenfern she would die soon after.

"I'm so sorry that I couldn't save you," he whispered.

"It's… alright… I love you," she croaked. Her beautiful green eyes closed and her flanks stilled forever.

"No!" cried Thornshadow. Brackenfern had been the only cat in the Clan that he had cared about, and now she was gone. _Why should I warn the Clan now? I only wanted Brackenfern to be safe. Sure, I spent a long time trying to be deputy, and I finally succeeded. _Thornshadow stood over Brackenfern's body as if he could shield it from the intense heat that was drawing nearer and nearer. The world seemed to have gone amber; the light of the flames was all he could see. _I'm sorry, _he thought. _I won't warn the Clan. All of the power I gained can be regained. _

Thornshadow stood up straight. "I love you," he whispered to Brackenfern before racing away. He ran away from the forest fire and the camp, so he was heading into unclaimed territory. The dark brown tom fled away his home, the place he had grown up and the only place he felt loved. Now, he was fleeing to become a rogue.

Finally, he crossed the border, coming across a river. The river was around two fox-lengths wide, streaming innocently over the rocks. Thornshadow scented the air, trying to smell anything other than the tang of smoke that hung heavily in the air. His green eyes widened as he caught the scent of cats. _Three, _he guessed. _IvyClan? _

He continued downstream for several minutes, scenting that they had fled this way. Thornshadow gazed across the river, trying to see the cats. He jumped backwards as a burning tree fell downnext to him. Eyes flashed on the other side of the river; and Thornshadow stifled a cough from the ash. They were the cats he had scented. He decided to cross the stream and follow them until he learned of their plans. He hadn't thought that there would be any survivors; it looked as if the fire had destroyed IvyClan's and HazelClan's territories as well.

Thornshadow walked back down to where he had first scented the cats. He leaped into the freezing water, swimming strongly across the river. He learned to swim at a young age, and obviously he hadn't forgotten the skill.

As he swam across, he thought of how his father taught him to swim, the same father that he had killed with his very own claws. He pictured his father's horrified expression with satisfaction. Soon afterwards, he had killed his mother, because both of them knew of his evil intentions to take over the forest. _All of that was ruined after the fire, _he thought angrily.

Thornshadow climbed out of the water, shaking his pelt in an attempt to dry it. If the IvyClan survivors didn't reveal their plans soon enough he would probably kill them. Thornshadow stalked over to the cats, gazing at them, trying to identify who they were. _Dovesong, Sunfeather and… Hollyshade. All she cats. _

Thornshadow settled down near them, not so close that he would be scented, but close enough so that when they rose he would wake. He tucked his dark brown tail over his nose and soon fell asleep.

. . .

He woke up blinking, unsure of where he was. As Thornshadow heard the voices of the she cats, everything fell back into place. Slowly, he rose to his paws, stretching stiffly. Once he was satisfied with his muscles, he stalked through the undergrowth, keeping his tail and belly from brushing against the ground. The she cats were discussing a thorn in someone's paw. Thornshadow peered through a gap in the undergrowth. They were rising to their paws, saying goodbyes to their former home. _Pathetic weaklings, _he thought, his evil side coming through. _Just let it go. _

Thornshadow followed the three cats until they reached a forest. He kept well behind them, following their fading scents. They were on land where he was more likely to be seen. The cats decided to rest for the night, so Thornshadow settled down a few tree-lengths away from them. Eventually, sleep overcame him.

. . .

_StarClan sent them a task? _Thornshadow thought disbelievingly, crouched inside a bush nearby. He hadn't doubted StarClan existed, just hated them with a burning passion. They had taken so many of his loved ones away. Thornshadow couldn't believe that the cats were going to make a new Clan. All he knew was that he was going to kill them all.

"I've heard that there's a fairly big Twolegplace a few days travel north from here. If there is an enemy around, he'll probably be there or head there," said Hollyshade. _They're going to the Twolegplace!_

Thornshadow had heard of the colossal Twolegplace when he was a kit, listening to the elders' stories. _I'll just follow them for a little longer. I want to reach the Twolegplace ahead of them. Maybe I can make some allies there, prevent them from joining this 'Clan'._

He followed them through a lush green forest. He rested near them again when they stayed the night. The next morning, he smiled in glee as he scented Sunfeather's blood. _That kittypet stepped on a sharp stone, _he thought in a tone that sounded like it came from a kit. The group's pace slowed after that; and he trailed behind them like a shadow. _Hurry up! A blind kit could travel faster than this, _he thought crossly.

After walking along so slowly Thornshadow thought he would explode, the cats settled down for rest. Thornshadow didn't want to leave the group yet, he wanted to learn their plans. As he crept away to hunt, the dark brown tom brushed loudly against a bush.

_Fox-dung! Stupid, stupid, stupid! _Thornshadow froze as Hollyshade's head shot up. _She is so annoying, _he thought, holding his breath nervously. The she cat turned away; and with relief Thornshadow slunk away with a last glance over his shoulder.

_They will be on guard now, I'll head to Twolegplace. _He slunk through the undergrowth, putting distance between the she cats and himself with every step.

. . .

The stench of the Twolegplace filled his nose, and he wrinkled it in disgust. Monsters roared by, their eyes piercing the night. Thornshadow carefully walked up to a Thunderpath, waiting for a lapse in the parade of monsters. As soon as there was one, he darted across the rough, stony surface. He winced as the Thunderpath scraped his pads.

He stood on the other side. Thornshadow scented the air, trying to smell something other than the reek of the city. Faintly, he picked up the scent of cats. _Maybe they'll ally with me._

He followed the scent, as hard as it was. It led him through a maze of Thunderpaths and Twoleg dens. Thornshadow couldn't see the stars through the smog that lay above the city; but it didn't bother him as he did not care about StarClan. Harsh orange light shone down from tall stone trees, reminding him of the fire.

The scent stopped in a narrow alleyway that was lined with shiny Twoleg objects and boxes. Thornshadow stepped forward hesitantly. A yowl rang in his ears, and before he knew it he was pinned on the ground, his muzzle pushed into the stone on the ground.

"Get off me!" he hissed, writhing; though he could not throw his attacker off.

"What do you want? Why are you on our territory?" hissed the heavy weight on his back. Summoning his strength, Thornshadow flipped over, throwing his attacker off.

"I want to… join you. I came looking for you for a long way, I heard of your reputation," he lied smoothly. Gaining favour within these cats would help him get a place.

"I don't know if we can trust you. But I'll let it pass, because you seem to know us. Come this way," growled the cat, padding into a dilapidated building inside the alley.

_I don't want to go in a Twoleg building! _Thornshadow thought, alarmed. But he pushed down his fear and padded inside after the cat. He gazed around the building. There were small gaps in the walls and roof that allowed some light into the den. Eyes flashed at him from dark figures on top of ruined boxes. The cat led the way into another room.

"We are the South Branch of Death Rogues," meowed the cat. He turned around. "I am Skull. There is a North Branch, and East Branch and a West Branch. You entered from the south of the Twolegplace; therefore you entered our territory first. Our leader, Scar, will not hesitate to kill traitors. So if you join, you would be wise not to betray us." Thornshadow nodded and followed the cat up to a dimly lit area at the end of the dark room. A massive black cat sat atop a wooden crate, holding his head regally. Thornshadow stifled a gasp as the cat stepped into the light. This leader was covered in deep, ugly scars that sliced along his face and body. Thornshadow though that he was scary; but Scar was terrifying.

Wordlessly, Skull left the room. "You," meowed Scar, flicking his tail. "You want to join, don't you?" Thornshadow nodded, pushing down his fear of this cat. He would not be afraid.

"Very well. Tell me, have you killed another cat before?" asked the black tom.

"Indeed, I have," growled Thornshadow. "I killed my parents and another innocent." Thornshadow thought of Blackdapple, a warrior that had been a threat to his and Brackenfern's relationship. He hadn't realized it, but back then, Thornshadow did have feelings for Brackenfern. The tom's eyes widened approvingly.

"I also abandoned my home, a Clan, to a fire, when I could have warned them."

"You were part of a Clan? The Clans are our enemies." hissed Scar threateningly.

"I was, but I left. The Clans were destroyed by a fire around a quarter moon ago. Three cats survived. Now I have enemies that are from the Clans, and I need to destroy them. May I join?" asked Thornshadow politely.

Scar paused for a minute. "I believe that you will stay loyal to us. You may join the South Branch of Death Rogues. Your den will be in the other room, and when needed, you may meet with the other branches." Thornshadow nodded in relief.

"Thank you."

**Aah. Thornshadow's going to get a lot more evil in the next chapters. What do you think of our villain? Hate, love? Neither? Whatever, no one really answers my questions. Three chappies, I'm on a roll today! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**-Issy**


	4. Chapter 4

Hollyshade slowly rose to her paws. The journeying had taken its toll on the young she cats; back in the Clan they hadn't had to walk this far non-stop, ever. She stretched her stiff muscles then straightened up. Dovesong was grooming her grey flecked fur and Sunfeather was still asleep. Hollyshade walked up to her.

"Wake up, dormouse!" she mewed cheerfully, nudging Sunfeather's shoulder. The golden she cat stirred, opening her eyes and staring straight into Hollyshade's face. Sunfeather let out a squeak, jumping onto her paws.

"Hey, I'm not that ugly, am I?" Hollyshade joked. "Come on, it's time we get moving. I'm guessing by tomorrow night we'll have reached the Twolegplace." Dovesong rose to her paws.

The group made their way through the forest. _This is kind of boring, _thought Hollyshade. The sun was at its highest point, beating down on the travelling cats.

Hollyshade opened her mouth, about to ask a question. She stopped in surprise as she caught the scent of another cat. A pitiful wail rang through the air.

"Can any of you scent that?" she asked. Dovesong opened her jaws and scented the air.

"It's a kit!" she exclaimed. "Come on, let's go and find it!" The companions trotted through the green forest, jaws opened wide to take in the kit's scent. They broke out of the trees into a small clearing. The ground was covered in long green grass. A small white kit was lying on its side, letting out wails of sadness.

Hollyshade raced over to the kit. "It's so small, and it seems abandoned!" she exclaimed, licking the kit's snowy white fur. It squeaked and fell silent. _I wonder how it got here… _

Sunfeather was sniffing around the clearing. Suddenly, she stopped and gasped in alarm.

"I can smell blood! And a lot of it!" she meowed. Hollyshade checked to make sure the kit was okay; then picked it up by the scruff. Dovesong walked over to Sunfeather.

"You're right. We'd better go and see if… if it's this kit's family," Hollyshade mewed, trotting over to them with the kit in her mouth. It let out another wail, piercing the air.

The she cats followed the metallic tang of blood, emerging into another clearing. There were three bodies, lying on the ground. Hollyshade noticed with horror that they all appeared dead, with their limbs splayed out and snarls on their faces.

Dovesong and Sunfeather rushed over to them, checking to see if they were alive. _Who did this to them? _Hollyshade's pelt prickled uneasily.

"This one's still alive!" Sunfeather meowed, pointing to a white she cat. Her pelt was stained with crimson blood. Hollyshade padded over to her and set the kit down. The kit mewled, touching noses with the cat, who Hollyshade assumed was his mother.

The white she cat's eyes fluttered open. "Dew," she whispered. The kit gave an answering mewl. _His name is Dew, _Hollyshade realized.

The white cat turned towards Hollyshade. "Take care… of my son," she croaked, before the light died from her eyes. Hollyshade stared in shock. Then she walked forward, shutting the she cat's eyes with a lick.

"Rest in peace," she said. "I don't know who did this to you, but we'll get revenge." Sunfeather had walked up next to Hollyshade and was examining Dew.

"Hollyshade, there's something… off about him. He's just old enough to open his eyes, but…" she trailed off.

Hollyshade turned and crouched down so she was almost level with the fluffy kit. There was something off about his blue eyes, the way they seemed to stare…

"He's blind," Hollyshade meowed abruptly. Dovesong had joined them, staring at Dew with surprise.

"The poor little kit, I've heard that cats with white fur and blue eyes are more likely to be deaf or blind," she noted.

"Will we take him with us?" Sunfeather asked.

Hollyshade thought for a moment. Dew would be a good asset for the new Clan, even though he was blind.

"Yes," she mewed slowly. "The warrior code tells us to help kits in need. We can't leave him here all by himself, especially so young and blind. We'll take him with us." Sunfeather and Dovesong nodded in approval.

"So the others are dead?" Hollyshade asked hesitantly, picking up the little tom by his scruff. Dovesong nodded sadly.

"I don't know what killed them, although it looks like a cat clawed them." She shuddered, glancing around worriedly. "I think we should move on." Hollyshade nodded, being careful not to jostle the kit.

She took the lead, carrying the kit well off the ground. Hollyshade felt pity for the small abandoned kit. _He has us now. _The group stopped after a while to hunt at a sparkling stream. Hollyshade put Dew on the ground. He scurried over to the stream and nearly fell in. Sunfeather stopped him, reaching out a golden paw and pushing him backwards gently.

"You don't want to fall in there," she purred softly. Dew let out a squeak of protest. Hollyshade trotted over to the blind kit.

"Here," she mewed. She guided Dew to the edge of the water, holding him so he wouldn't splash into the shallow stream. He was still too small to live long if he got soaked. The white kit lapped up some of the water, and Hollyshade thought she heard the faintest purr.

Dovesong returned with three small mice in her jaws.

"I'll share mine with Dew," offered Sunfeather. Dovesong placed a mouse in front of her. Dew blindly walked up to Sunfeather, leaving Hollyshade standing near the stream. The silver she cat padded over to the cats and lay down next to Dew and Sunfeather, taking a bite out of the mouse. She let its succulent flavours sing in her mouth, chewing slowly. Dovesong was eating hers next to Hollyshade.

Sunfeather was tearing the mouse into pieces, trying to coax Dew to eat some. Eventually, he accepted some. The sun was setting, turning the sky amber and pink.

"Do you want to camp here for the night?" asked Hollyshade.

"Sure," replied Dovesong. Sunfeather just nodded as they started to set up a den. When night fell, Dew stumbled over to Hollyshade and curled up next to her, a purr vibrating through his body. Hollyshade returned his purr, closing her eyes.

. . .

Hollyshade woke late the next day. The sun was nearly at its peak, beating down on the forest. She glanced at Dew. He was sleeping peacefully, his sides rising up and down. Dovesong and Sunfeather were nowhere to be seen. Hollyshade guessed that they had gone hunting.

"Dew, wake up," meowed Hollyshade gently, nudging the little white tom. He lifted his head and blinked his eyes. _It isn't that obvious that he's blind, _she thought. Dew blinked again, opening his jaws to scent the air. _He's too young to remember his family. We're all he has now. _Hollyshade felt a fondness that she hadn't felt for any other cat. _I feel like… like he's my son. I suppose he kind of is._

Sunfeather and Dovesong returned with some prey each.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" demanded Hollyshade, slightly annoyed that she had been left out.

"Well, you had to look after Dew," explained Sunfeather, "and you've been working your paws off lately, hunting and leading us to the Twolegplace." Hollyshade shrugged. They could do what they wanted, she wasn't their leader.

Dovesong set a mouse down in front of Hollyshade. "Do you want to feed Dew today?" she asked, flicking her tail.

"I will," Hollyshade replied, ripping off a piece of the mouse and placing it in front of Dew. He opened his little pink mouth, slowly taking the piece of meat. His light blue eyes gazed off into the distance.

When Hollyshade finished feeding the little kit, she ate for herself and rose to her paws.

"I'll carry Dew if you like," she mewed.

Sunfeather purred. "You're really taking a liking to that kit, Hollyshade."

Hollyshade felt a smile spread across her face; and she picked up Dew. They continued to walk through the forest.

. . .

"The forest is thinning out," commented Dovesong, gazing around. It was true; there were not as many trees around. The sun had almost set and the sky had turned amber. Hollyshade looked into the sky ahead, wondering how close they were to the Twolegplace. She saw bright lights shining up into the sky and almost jumped in joy.

She carefully put Dew on the now rocky ground, signalling with her tail for Dovesong and Sunfeather to stop.

"I can see the Twolegplace!" she exclaimed. Dovesong looked excited.

"So wait… what exactly are we going to do in Twolegplace?" she asked, confusion flashing in her green eyes. "It's all very well that we go around and recruit cats for this new Clan, but when do we stop?"

Hollyshade sat down uncomfortably on the rocky ground, keeping her tail wrapped around Dew. "Well, I suppose until we have enough. StarClan also said that we should protect cats from the 'enemy'. So I think we should do that, by hanging around in Twolegplace until the enemy shows itself. We could find a place to stay…" she explained. Dovesong still looked troubled, but Sunfeather was nodding.

"That makes sense." The cats continued to walk along the rocky terrain. The Twolegplace loomed up above them, massive Twoleg dens almost touching the sky.

"Wow," whispered Dovesong. The Clan cats had never seen a Twolegplace before, only heard of them in tales from the elders. They did know about monsters and Thunderpaths though, and the danger of Twolegs themselves.

Soon they came to the edge of the giant city. A small black Thunderpath stood in their way. Monsters rushed over it, their wind buffeting the cats' fur. Dew let out a small whimper, blinking his sightless eyes.

"Be prepared. When I say go, run across as fast as you can. Okay?" Hollyshade mewed around the kit in her mouth. Sunfeather nodded her golden head determinedly; while Dovesong nodded less certainly. The stench of Twolegplace filled Hollyshade's nose; and the ground vibrated under her paws. There was a lapse in the monsters.

"Go!" she yowled, dashing over the hard black surface. The roar of another monster sounded in her ears as she crossed onto the dry grass at the edge of the Thunderpath. Hollyshade turned to see Sunfeather and Dovesong right behind her.

"Okay, let's move on," Hollyshade instructed, giving a comforting purr to Dew, who was trembling slightly in her mouth. There weren't any Thunderpaths for a while, giving the cats time to smooth their fur. Twoleg dens started to appear, with their straggly plants and lazy kittypets. Hollyshade saw a kittypet sitting proudly on his fence, hissing at any cat that passed by. As the group trotted down the stone path next to the kittypet, he sneered at them.

"Where are you going sweethearts? Surely you want to stop for a rest. After all, she cats are pathetic and weak." The tom's eyes glinted dangerously at them.

Hollyshade flicked her tail as she noticed Dovesong bristling beside her.

"Ignore him, he's not worth it," she cautioned. Dovesong nodded and gave the kittypet a glare over her shoulder.

The cats travelled deeper into the Twolegplace. Dens lined the Thunderpaths, and Thunderpaths became ever present. Wherever they walked, Hollyshade would wrinkle her nose at the stench of them. Her companions' fur was fluffed up and their eyes were wide. There was a light sense of unease at the back of her mind, always nagging her. The moon was high in the sky, beaming down on the city. Harsh lights poured from the dens and from the tall metal trees on the side of the Thunderpaths.

As Hollyshade gazed up at the moon, she realized that it was nearly full. A pang of sadness shot through her as she thought of the Gathering the Clans would have had tonight. She noticed that her jaws ached from carrying Dew, and that the little kit had fallen asleep.

"Why don't we find a place to rest?" she mewed. Hollyshade came to a halt in a gap between some Twoleg dens and placed Dew gently on the ground. He let out a squeak of protest.

Dovesong nodded, and Hollyshade noticed that her companions looked terrible. Dovesong's white fur was ragged and fluffed up. Her eyes had a ring of white around them. Sunfeather looked just as bad, and her golden pelt was filthy. Hollyshade realized that she probably looked the same.

"I don't like it here, Hollyshade," Sunfeather whispered, glancing around nervously.

"It's alright, you'll get used to it," Hollyshade purred, trying to keep her own fear hidden. Sunfeather just nodded.

"Where can we rest? Nowhere here is safe," whimpered Dovesong. Hollyshade fought her own worry; she had to stay strong for the group. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a quiet purr from a nearby Twoleg fence.

"I know a place to stay. Would you like me to show you where it is?" Hollyshade turned to see a light brown tabby she cat. She carried the scent of a kittypet.

"Yes, please. That would be great," Hollyshade answered, dipping her head. She picked up Dew and signalled for her friends to follow her, padding after the kittypet. She led the group confidently through a maze of alleys and dens until she finally came to a hole in the wall of a den. Hollyshade followed her inside, ducking so she would fit into the small hole.

As her eyes adjusted, Hollyshade found that she was in a dark, abandoned Twoleg den. Hollyshade set Dew on the ground. She bristled, turning to the kittypet.

"Are you sure this place is safe?" she growled. The kittypet nodded confidently.

"It is, the Twolegs that used to live here moved away. They left their belongings here though, so whenever a cat is lost I lead them here. You can sleep on the couch there, it's warm and comfy." Hollyshade nodded her head in relief.

"Thank you. How can we repay this to you?" she asked.

The brown kittypet shook her head. "You don't need to repay me. You're obviously new to the city, and I'll help out any lost cats. When morning comes, I'll come back here and hunt for you, alright?" Hollyshade nodded gratefully; she felt like some of her tension had eased.

"How do you know how to hunt?" asked Sunfeather curiously.

"I was taught long ago," replied the kittypet. She turned to leave.

"Wait," called Dovesong. "What's your name?"

The kittypet turned back, her green eyes glowing. "I am known as Honey," she answered with a quiet purr, before slipping through the small hole and vanishing into the night.

Hollyshade sighed. "That was so nice!" she exclaimed. Sunfeather just nodded, padding cautiously toward the 'couch', where she leaped onto it and curled up. Hollyshade didn't feel safe inside the den; she was sure that none of the Clan cats were. She picked up Dew again, trotting up to Sunfeather.

The silver warrior jumped onto the couch, letting out a purr of delight as she found that it was soft. She circled a few times, trying to get comfortable. She set down Dew as she lay down on the brightly coloured couch. The blind kit purred in comfort and huddled up to Hollyshade. Dovesong settled onto the couch too. Satisfied that the group was safe, Hollyshade closed her eyes and let sleep overcome her.

**AN: Who doesn't love cute blind kits! I hope that you liked this chapter; it was… 2589 words long! Woah. CX I made it longer because I felt like writing a lot. Hurry up and get older Dew, I want to write a chapter in your perspective! I've never written in a blind cat's POV before, it looks really cool. Please review peeps; I know you're out there, reading this…**

**-Issy**


	5. Chapter 5

Hollyshade woke with a start as Honey padded through the small gap in the wall that led to the alley. She blinked and jumped down from the couch.

"Thank you for keeping your promise," Hollyshade purred to Honey. She felt grateful that the kittypet had helped them out when they were so weak and vulnerable.

"I'm an honest cat," Honey purred. "But there are some around here that aren't so trustworthy, so be careful. Anyway, I'm helping you out because I can tell that you're here to stay, for a while at least." Hollyshade nodded, feeling somewhat surprised at the kittypet's intelligence. She hadn't thought that Honey was mouse-brained, but she didn't think that they were so easy to read.

"Can you show us some good places to hunt?" she asked. Sunfeather and Dovesong were stirring behind her.

"Of course I can. I'll just take you, because one of you has to stay with the little kit and they'll want company. We can't have him getting into trouble, can we?" Honey purred, her green eyes sparkling.

"No, we can't. Thank you again," Hollyshade replied, turning to look at Dew. The little white tom was sleeping peacefully; his tail curled neatly over his pink nose.

"Should we go now?" Hollyshade asked, turning back to Honey. The brown kittypet nodded.

"Alright, but you should probably explain to the others what we're doing," she replied. Hollyshade walked over to Sunfeather and Dovesong; briefly explaining what they were doing. Sunfeather nodded and curled her tail around Dew; closing her eyes and resting her head back on her golden paws.

Hollyshade trotted back to Honey. "Okay, let's go now." The cats squeezed through the gap in the wall. Hollyshade blinked as her eyes adjusted to the bright light after being in the dim room for so long.

"Follow me. Don't go off on your own, and don't talk to cats you don't know. There are some bad cats around here," Honey instructed, shuddering. She turned and trotted confidently down the alley. Hollyshade followed her, wincing slightly as the rough surface of the path. _This place is so big, vast and different. I guess a few days ago, none of us would have imagined this._

Honey took a short yet confusing route through the loud streets of Twolegplace. The sun beat down on the paths, making Hollyshade feel uncomfortable and bothered. The stress of Twolegplace weighed down on her shoulders; and grief for the destruction of her beloved Clan still hung around her like mist. There weren't many Twolegs around; that was somewhat of a relief to the Hollyshade. Monsters prowled past, but they never left their Thunderpaths.

Soon, Honey came to a place that reeked of Twoleg rubbish and halted in front of it. The ground was flat stone and there were high walls around the edges of the pile. Gleaming metal objects and mushy Twoleg food scraps lay scattered on the ground. Hollyshade wrinkled her nose as the stench filled her scent glands. _This place smells disgusting! _

"What is this place?" hissed Hollyshade, warily glancing around. _Is this a trap? _

Honey looked at her seriously. "It's a Twoleg dump. They leave all of their waste here. Even though it smells, it's a good place for prey. The mice and rats are attracted to the food scraps," she explained. Hollyshade nodded, noting the place in her mind. She was fairly certain that she could remember the route leading to the dump.

Honey strode off in another direction, and Hollyshade followed her, still anxious about being so far into the city. The brown kittypet showed Hollyshade a few more places that she could hunt for food. She was surprised that there were so many locations for possible hunting. As they walked, Honey explained some things about being in the city.

"Well, as I said before, you shouldn't talk to cats you don't know," Honey began, leading Hollyshade down a stone path. "And don't go out by yourself at night, it's dangerous, especially nearer to the heart of the city." The pair was only in the outskirts where the Twoleg buildings were still dens, not the larger buildings that Twolegs bustled in and out of all the time.

"There's a group of rogues around here," Honey continued nervously. Her gaze flickered to the sides, making sure there were no other cats around. "They call themselves the Death Rogues." Hollyshade felt a flicker of fear at their name. "There are four branches of them. They're the North Branch, the South Branch, the East Branch and the West Branch. These branches are made up of the cats that don't have Twoleg owners or any love." Honey swallowed before continuing.

"The Death Rogues are very dangerous. They are the cats that will attack you at night. I know because…" Honey trailed off, her green eyes wide. "Well, because they did it to my mother. They killed her," she whispered. Hollyshade felt sympathy for the kittypet. Honey was now walking along with her ears flat to her head and her tail down.

"I'm sorry," said Hollyshade. "She must have meant a lot to you." Honey nodded, straightening up.

"Anyway, be really careful of them. I can't have any of you getting… injured because I didn't warn you, okay?" Honey insisted, her green eyes wide. Hollyshade nodded.

"Good," purred Honey. "Well, seeing as you're staying here for a while, why don't I take you to meet some of my friends? That way you can get to know some cats around here, and when you need help they can assist you."

"Okay, that sounds like a good idea," Hollyshade replied. Honey set off down the streets again, pointing out locations and landmarks that would help Hollyshade if she got lost. Hollyshade marvelled at how helpful this she cat was. She almost didn't deserve to be labelled as a kittypet. Honey stopped in front of a den that looked the same as every other Twoleg den around.

"This is Isabelle's den," she mewed. Honey let out a yowl; making Hollyshade jump. Soon, a creamy kittypet emerged from a bush in the garden of the den.

"Honey!" she called in a light voice. "It's great to see you again!"

Honey nodded. "Isabelle, this is Hollyshade. Hollyshade, this is Isabelle." Hollyshade nodded in greeting.

"Hello," she mewed.

Isabelle dipped her head. "I haven't seen you around here before," she meowed. "Are you new to the Twolegplace?"

_I don't want to tell Isabelle my past yet, because Honey doesn't even know, and she might feel like I kept something from her, _Hollyshade thought.

"Yes, my friends and I decided to stay here for a while. Not with Twolegs you know, but by ourselves. Honey was very kind and helped us out," she said out loud. Isabelle nodded in understanding.

"Oh, okay," she replied. The creamy kittypet opened her mouth to say something else but was interrupted by a shout from her Twoleg den.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," she explained, rolling her eyes. "My Twoleg gets worried about me sometimes."

"Well, I hope we see you again," Hollyshade mewed warmly. And it was true; she wanted to learn more about how kittypets could stand to live with their Twolegs. Isabelle waved her tail in farewell then dashed off into her garden again. Her plumy tail streamed behind her as she ran. A few heartbeats later, Hollyshade heard a quiet bang and peered through a gap in the white fence that surrounded the den. A small flap was swinging in the entrance of the den. _Isabelle was nice, _she decided.

Honey was looking at her curiously. "Haven't you ever seen a cat flap before?" she purred. Hollyshade laughed.

"No, because my friends and I came from a forest," she explained.

"So you weren't kittypets. Of course, because you obviously got lost in the city, something a kittypet would never do. Why didn't you stay there, in the forest? I wish sometimes I was free… But I don't want to let my Twoleg down, he cares for me so much," Honey mewed wistfully.

"Well… I lived in a Clan of cats; we have our own system of caring for one another, as well as a code to live by. But you see, around six nights ago, there was a horrible forest fire that burned down our territories. No one except Sunfeather, Dovesong and I escaped from our Clan, IvyClan. By the next morning, our territories were just heaps of ashes and charred stumps," Hollyshade explained, shuddering.

Hollyshade watched as Honey's bright green eyes widened in sympathy. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I had no idea that you had faced such things!" she exclaimed. "I can only hope that you find somewhere to live permanently, because you wouldn't want to live in that den for long, would you? Where did you find the little kit?" Honey was firing questions madly at Hollyshade.

"Why don't we keep walking?" Hollyshade suggested. Honey nodded and took the lead, padding down another stone path.

"Yes, it was hard," Hollyshade began. "We managed though, and now I guess we're stronger for it. As for Dew, we found him in a forest around a day from the Twolegplace. He was a little way off from his family, a group of loners, we think. They all appeared dead with wounds to their necks and bodies. But one was still alive, Dew's mother, and her dying wish was for us to take care of her son."

Honey's eyes widened even further. "Dew's mother died?" she whispered. Hollyshade nodded sadly.

"Unfortunately, she did. Even though Dew slowed us down slightly, we couldn't leave him there. For one, our warrior code tells us to help kits in need. And for another, although it's hard to tell, Dew's blind," Hollyshade explained.

"Wow, are you sure?" Honey exclaimed, turning a corner down another street.

Hollyshade nodded. "And I'm not sure if you know who's who. Sunfeather is the golden dappled she cat, and Dovesong is the white one flecked with grey." Honey nodded, looking cheered to be away from the previous subject.

"They kind of look like their names," she mused.

"That's how Clan cats are named; Sunfeather's name comes from her golden pelt and plumy tail. Dovesong's comes from her white pelt and kind nature, I guess."

Honey nodded and stopped in front of another den. "This is Blackie's den," she announced. A Twoleg den a fair bit larger than Isabella's rose in front of the cats. Another white fence bordered this one; and Hollyshade watched as Honey gracefully leaped onto it.

"Come on, Blackie can't get out of his garden, so you're going to have to see him from up here," she instructed. Hollyshade gathered her strength, coiling her muscles. The fence was around two tail-lengths high. _Not that much lower than a tree. In IvyClan, cats climbed trees sometimes, _Hollyshade reminded herself. She sprang up, mentally cursing as her already sore pads scraped against the rough surface of the Twoleg path. The silver cat landed on the fence somewhat awkwardly, but straightened up.

Honey let out a purr. "Blackie!" she called. Hollyshade noticed another cat flap in the door to the den. _I could bet ten mousetails Blackie will come through there, _she thought. Sure enough, a handsome young kittypet came bursting through the flap and bounded up to the fence.

"Hi Honey!" he greeted, staring up at the pair with wide amber eyes. _What a surprise, _Hollyshade thought. _His pelt is black. _She stifled a purr of laughter.

"Blackie, this is Hollyshade. Hollyshade, this is Blackie," Honey meowed, introducing them. Blackie nodded a hello.

"Where are you from?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I used to live in a forest with my friends. But we left and travelled here, where Honey helped us," she explained.

"Oh, okay!" Blackie mewed. The tom seemed around apprentice age. He was giving off a naïve vibe.

"It's nice to see you again Blackie, but we have to get going now. We're a fair way from my den and it's nearly nightfall," Honey explained, glancing at the darkening sky.

"Ah. You wouldn't want to be out to late," he said. Honey shook her head.

"Goodbye!" she mewed; jumping from the fence and landing steadily on the path below. Hollyshade murmured a farewell and followed Honey.

Honey hurried along the streets. Monsters still crept along the Thunderpaths, but not as many passed the cats like before. Their eyes glowed menacingly. The stone trees lit up one at a time along the Thunderpath, illuminating the night.

Hollyshade shivered as she remembered the Death Rogues. _Will we see any? _ Dusk had fallen over the city. Hollyshade remembered the night a quarter moon ago when her Clan was destroyed. _Was it really that long ago? _ The memory of hungry flames and spiralling cinders sent a familiar pang of grief. Honey stopped dead, causing Hollyshade to bump into her.

"Stay back!" the light brown kittypet hissed, crouching down on the path. Hollyshade did the same, peering past Honey. She saw a dark shape pinning down a smaller shape. Clouds had covered the moon, so Hollyshade couldn't see what was going on.

"It's a Death Rogue," Honey growled quietly. Hollyshade saw the larger shape swipe at the smaller one. The victim yelped in pain.

"We can't let it get away with that!" Hollyshade exclaimed. She raced forward, ignoring Honey's shrieks for her to stop. Moonlight burst through the clouds, exposing the cats in a bright beam of light. A dark brown tabby was pinning down a small tan coloured tom.

"Get off him!" Hollyshade yowled to the dark tom. He turned; green eyes flashing in the moonlight. Hollyshade thought she saw recognition flash in his eyes, but he turned back and clawed the small tom's belly. The victim let out a yowl as blood trickled slowly out of his wounds.

Hollyshade screeched and leaped at the attacker, landing on his back. He had a strange scent of blood and crowfood.

"You filthy rogue," she hissed, lashing out and scratching his ear. She relished the sound of pain that escaped his throat. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Hollyshade could hear Honey running up behind her.

"No! Come back!" the kittypet called. Hollyshade ignored her, raking her claws through the tom's matted fur until he squirmed and escaped her grasp.

"I'll be back, Hollyshade," he spat. The dark brown tom vanished into the shadows. Hollyshade froze; then started to walk over to the smaller tom. _How did he know my name? I don't know him! At least I don't think I do…_

The tan tom was lying on his back. One of his eyes was swollen shut and blood flowed from various wounds on his body. He appeared to be unconscious. Honey scurried over as Hollyshade examined him.

"Why did you put yourself in danger like that? Who was that tom? How did he know your name? Will this tom be okay?" she meowed frantically.

"I'm a warrior, I don't know, I don't know and yes," listed Hollyshade with a growl. "How far away are Sunfeather, Dovesong and Dew?"

"N-not far," Honey answered nervously.

"Come on, let's take this tom back then," Hollyshade instructed, grunting slightly as Honey lifted the tom onto her shoulders. He slumped slightly and Hollyshade tried not to jostle him as they walked away along the street, heading for the group's makeshift den.

**AN: 2569 words; that's pretty long for me. Hope you enjoyed that chapter; the next will be in a certain someone's perspective. Anyway, please review, I worked hard on this.**

**-Issy**


	6. Chapter 6

"_Thornshadow, will you go hunting with me later?" purred the light brown tabby._

"_Of course, Brackenfern," Thornshadow replied, his eyes glinting. Any other cat would have thought it was love. But someone that knew him well would know that it was murderous ambition._

Settling inside the wooden crate, Thornshadow rested his head on his paws. He shut his bright green eyes tightly, trying to get some sleep. Eventually, it came.

"_Petalsky, will you hunt with us? Can Rainleaf come as well?" Thornshadow pleaded. Glee danced inside him as he realized this would be his chance._

Thornshadow woke and peered out of the crate to see what time it was. The moon was still high in the sky. He padded back to his nest to get some more sleep.

"_Of course," Petalsky purred. "Your father and I would be delighted to come." Thornshadow watched, feeling somewhat murderous as he watched his mother wake his father in the warriors den. They walked forward as one, tails entwined. Thornshadow did not feel a single pang of regret in his cold heart. "Let's go."_

Thornshadow rose to his paws, trotting out of his crate and over to the broken window. He sighed, looking up through the hole in the wall. The moon was sinking now, sloping towards the horizon. Stars speckled the sky.

_They padded through the lush forest, scenting the air for prey. Thornshadow waited patiently for his first opportunity. His father, the deputy, stopped as he caught a scent trail._

"_I'll follow it," he announced quietly, stalking through the undergrowth. _Maybe I do have some kindness. Petalsky wouldn't be able to live without father, so I guess that's why… _The hunting patrol waited for Rainleaf to return, and soon he did so with a mouse in his jaws._

The moon had disappeared. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of cats stirring and stretching. He turned and glanced through the window on the opposite side of the small warehouse that was home to the South Branch of Death Rogues. Streaks of pink and amber were appearing in the sky.

_Rainleaf held a mouse and a hare, Petalsky had a vole clamped in her jaws and Thornshadow had a squirrel. Brackenfern still had nothing; and Thornshadow felt a tiny stirring of pity for her. The rest of the patrol had been extremely successful. He scented a mouse trail as they were turning back towards the camp. _

"_Over that way," he hissed quietly to Brackenfern, pointing with his tail. The light brown she cat nodded at him gratefully and turned, disappearing into the undergrowth. Thornshadow felt a smile spread across his face. Now was his chance. _

As the memories flooded back, Thornshadow felt no remorse or regret. He was simply happy at what he had achieved while in AspenClan. But the Death Rogues were his Clan now.

_Making sure his mother was distracted, Thornshadow turned to his father. The blue-grey tom had his back turned to his murderous son. Burying any regrets, Thornshadow leaped at his father, twisting the tom over and pinning him to the ground on his back. He sank his fangs into his father's throat, feeling only satisfaction as blood poured into his mouth. _

Thornshadow watched as cats left the warehouse to go padding around Twolegplace, looking for victims. That was really all they did. He didn't feel like joining them yet.

_Rainleaf gurgled, spluttering as his life drained away. His mouth tried to form words, yet nothing came out. Thornshadow bit down ever harder; metallic blood filling his mouth. Finally, the light died from his light blue eyes. Thornshadow bit back a purr of satisfaction. He was the only cat in the Clan suitable for the deputy position. _

Back in the present, Thornshadow did purr, licking his dark tabby pelt. That moment had felt so satisfying.

_He turned around, licking the blood from his muzzle. Petalsky emerged from the forest, and from the disappointed look on her face it was obvious that she had missed her prey. Her peaceful yet disappointed expression turned to one of shock and utter horror as she saw Rainleaf's body. She let out a shriek, racing past Thornshadow. The dark brown tabby leaped onto her and pinned her down as she dashed to her mate's body._

"_You did this, didn't you?" she spat, hissing in his face. _

Thornshadow felt nothing as he remembered that memory. The sun was high in the sky now, beaming onto the city.

_Thornshadow nodded. "It was necessary," he replied leaning towards her throat. Her pale yellow eyes gleamed in terror._

"_I know there was something different about you from the moment you were born," she whispered. "You never seemed to feel anything, and you were so rough with your denmates."_

Thornshadow had been the only kit in the litter; he had no brothers or sisters. His mother and father had been so proud of him, right to the end. But that had nothing to do with his murderous desires and the way he thirsted for kills. Thornshadow had been very restrained in AspenClan; he truly loved the place he was born. But sometimes it was necessary.

"_I'm sorry mother," he meowed, leaning even closer. "But I think this will be a favour." With that, he sank his fangs into Petalsky's throat. He killed her quickly, as he could tell Brackenfern would return soon. This time he wiped his parents' blood on the long green grass nearby. Clouds seemed to cover the sky; before the sun had been shining down on AspenClan._

Thornshadow could almost taste his mother's blood in his mouth. Idly, he wondered if he was slowly going insane. It was quite possible after all he had done, however he still didn't feel any regret.

_He turned with a look of horror as Brackenfern returned. "A fox," he choked, feigning emotion. "I went straight for the kill. I can't believe it." Brackenfern stared at the bodies in horror; then walked over and pressed against his side. _

Thornshadow could clearly remember the journey he had taken back to camp, his father's body heavy on his back. Brackenfern had taken Petalsky's; and Thornshadow felt admiration for the light brown she cat.

"_I say these words before the body of Rainleaf, so he may hear and approve of my choice," Violetstar meowed. _Unlikely that's going to happen, _thought Thornshadow gleefully. "Thornshadow will be the new deputy of AspenClan." Violetstar turned and disappeared into her den; eyes shining in sadness for her former deputy. That night, Thornshadow feigned depression at his parents' vigil. It wouldn't do to have him smiling evilly the whole time._

Thornshadow let a smile spread over his muzzle in the present though. He watched as cats sat to share prey together, bloodlust glittering in their eyes as they tore into their food. The dark brown tabby had done nothing all day except relive his memories and stare at nothing.

_The black dappled tom pressed against Brackenfern's side, purring hard. Thornshadow narrowed his eyes. This tom had to go. He didn't know why, but he felt it was necessary. Anyway, the deputy deserved a bit of a treat, it had been several moons since he murdered his parents. _

A cat was staring curiously at Thornshadow across the other side of the warehouse. Thornshadow flattened his ears threateningly, and the cat turned away.

_Thornshadow crept through the forest, following the black dappled tom. The white of the tom's pelt glowed softly in the moonlight. Soon Thornshadow was close behind him. He bared his fangs and unsheathed his claws in anticipation._

In the present, Thornshadow was filled with a sudden bloodlust. He needed to kill. He needed to taste warm blood in his mouth. He needed to see the light die from some cat's eyes. This was all that mattered. Thornshadow rose to his paws and hurried from the den, surprised that night had already fallen.

_Blackdapple stopped, scenting the air. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. Thornshadow strode from the shadows. "Blackdapple," he purred, bloodlust taking over. The tom turned around, his eyes widening._

"That's not my name," whimpered a tan coloured tom that was standing a few fox-lengths in front of him. Thornshadow blinked, not realizing where he was and that he had said that out loud.

_Thornshadow leaped at Blackdapple, pinning him on the ground._

The sandy coloured tom squirmed in his grasp. "Let me go, you filthy rogue!" he spat.

"_You would have taken Brackenfern. I don't know why, but that matters to me." Blackdapple scowled, despite his fear. He opened his mouth to make a scathing remark._

Thornshadow raked his claws along the tan tom's shoulder, taking pleasure in the yowl of pain. A red haze descended over his vision.

"_I won't let you take Brackenfern from me!" hissed Thornshadow, burying his fangs in Blackdapple's neck._

Thornshadow let out a flurry of swipes, furiously clawing the little tom.

_Blackdapple shrieked in pain, letting out a gurgle. Thornshadow felt nothing but sweet triumph as the light faded from Blackdapple's eyes._

"Stop it! You're hurting me!" the little tom yowled. Thornshadow thought he saw something move at the edge of his hazy vision, but ignored it.

_He stopped walking and threw the body into the river. "All done," he mewed in satisfaction. The dark tabby tom wiped his paws and face free of crimson blood._

"Get off him!" a new voice yowled. Thornshadow turned, furious that the newcomer had ruined his bloodlust. He nearly leaped back in surprise as he saw the silver pelt. _Hollyshade!_

"_Not Blackdapple!" cried Brackenfern. She turned to Thornshadow, pain and love mingling in her eyes. "I can't believe he drowned!" Thornshadow knew that she didn't mean it in the way he was thinking. He stopped a purr of laughter; letting the cruelness bottle up inside him. _

Thornshadow raked the tom's belly with his hind claws, smiling cruelly at the yowl of pain. Hollyshade leaped onto his back.

"You filthy rogue!" she hissed. Obviously she didn't recognise him in the darkness.

_Thornshadow pressed his dark fur against Brackenfern's light fur. "It's going to be okay," he meowed comfortingly._

Hollyshade raked his ear. A sound of pain escaped his throat. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" she exclaimed, slashing at his matted fur until he'd had enough. The piece of fox-dung had ruined his bloodlust. One day she would pay. Thornshadow wriggled from her grasp.

"I'll be back, Hollyshade," he spat, bounding into the shadows.

_Thornshadow lay in the warriors den. In the darkness, no one could see his smile of pure cruelty and evil. He felt the best he had in a long time. He hadn't wanted to hurt Brackenfern, but it was necessary for him to be with her. _What am I thinking? I don't love Brackenfern, _he thought confused. As he listened to Brackenfern's quiet whimpers outside, Thornshadow gazed contentedly at the dried crimson blood staining his claws._

**AN: And wow. I mean, I loved writing that chapter. Who guessed it was Mr Thorny that attacked the mystery tom? Totally not me -rolls eyes-. How does evilness roll off my fingers so easily? I wrote that chapter in around an hour maybe? It's a bit shorter than the others though, 1817 words /: Oh well, please tell me how much you liked it! I might publish this as a one-shot called 'No Regrets', because I loved it so much! Fun fun fun…**

**-Issy**


	7. Chapter 7

Slowly, he blinked open his eyes. Sunlight streamed through a gap in the wall. _Wait, a wall?_ He looked around, confused, to find that he was lying in a small abandoned Twoleg den. _Twolegs! _He had to get out.

As he tried to move, pain blossomed through him. He let out a tight huff, resting his head back down on the dusty couch.

A silver head came into view at the edge of his vision. He groaned; the shape was blurry.

"It's okay, we won't hurt you. What's your name?" said the silver shape. He blinked again, trying to clear his vision. It worked, his light green eyes cleared; but his other senses were still fuzzy, as if he had thistledown in his head.

"F… Fletch," he croaked, staring up at the silver cat. It was a she-cat, with light blue eyes and a friendly smile. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

Memories of the night before flickered into his mind. Fletch winced, trying to block out the terrifying images. The she-cat smiled at him warmly.

"You're in an abandoned Twoleg den near the south edge of the Twolegplace. Last night, you blacked out after a Death Rogue attacked you, so we brought you back here," she explained, frowning slightly.

Fletch just stared up at her. Pain was still clouding his senses; he couldn't make head or tail of what was going on.

"Wh… what's your name?" he stuttered, wincing slightly. It felt like a swarm of bees had stung his shoulders.

"I'm Hollyshade," she answered, turning to look across the room. Fletch turned his head slightly, surprised to see other cats. There was a white she-cat flecked with grey; standing over a small white kit. There was another she-cat grooming herself nearby, with a beautiful golden dappled pelt.

"And this is Dovesong," she continued, pointing with her plumy tail to the white she-cat. "The kit is named Dew, and the golden she-cat is called Sunfeather." She pointed to each cat in turn. _Sunfeather, _he thought, slightly dazed. _What a pretty name. _An unfamiliar emotion stirred inside him.

"We come from a forest several days south of the city," Hollyshade meowed, turning her blue gaze back to him. "I happened to be walking back here last night, and I saw you being attacked."

Fletch looked up at her with new respect dawning inside him. This cat had taken him in and saved his life, and she had nothing to gain for it. There weren't many cats left around the Twolegplace like Hollyshade.

"Thank you," he meowed firmly; his voice had come back. Hollyshade dipped her head.

"No problem. That nasty rogue shouldn't have been attacking you in the first place. I mean, who does that?" She frowned.

"Many cats around here do," he noted, gazing around the Twoleg nest again. Even though it was small, it gave off a comfortable vibe. There were thick, stiff pelts strung over the windows, blocking out most of the light and leaving small gaps for the sun to shine through. _Blinds. _The word flashed through his mind like the moon's reflection in a rippling puddle. _How do I know that? _Fletch wondered.

"How old are you?" asked the white she-cat, trotting up to him. His gaze snapped back to her.

"I'm around… ten moons old," he answered, feeling small and vulnerable.

"Oh, you seem slightly older than that," she meowed, seeming surprised. _Not she, Dovesong. _

Fletch shrugged uncomfortably, squeezing his eyes shut at the pain that accompanied the action. He had always been slightly big for his age, therefore looking stronger. This thought dragged back terror filled memories of his past. Fletch quickly opened his eyes, wondering why the Death Rogue had attacked him instead of a weaker cat.

There was a sound from the small gap in the side of the Twoleg nest. Fletch turned his head to see what it was. A light brown she-cat trotted in with some dull green leaves clamped tightly in her jaws.

Hollyshade looked as if she was expecting to see the visitor. "Honey," she greeted. "This is Fletch. Fletch, this is Honey. Honey was with me when I found you."

Fletch nodded slowly, trying not to hurt his neck. "It's nice to formally meet you," he meowed.

Honey dipped her head. "It's nice to meet you too, Fletch. I brought some herbs with me from my Twoleg's garden for your scratches," she meowed, her voice muffled by the leaves in her jaws. Fletch gave her a grateful look, the herbs would definitely help him.

Honey trotted over and placed the leaves on the couch next to him. Dew and Sunfeather had started playing a game over near the entrance; however Dew seemed to be acting strangely. His movements were clumsy and hesitant. Fletch frowned at the white kit for a moment before turning back to Honey, Dovesong and Hollyshade.

Hollyshade had taken the herbs, chewing them up into a green poultice. Dovesong flicked her tail to Fletch.

"Turn over so that Hollyshade can put the herbs on your back," she instructed. Slowly, Fletch rolled so he was lying on his belly. Pain coursed through him again, and he squeezed his eyes shut. After what seemed like ten moons, Hollyshade applied the cool poultice to his scratches. Even though there were several on his belly, they weren't as bad as the ones that slashed across his back.

Fletch sighed in relief as the healing juices seeped into his cuts. He meowed a muffled thanks to Honey - his head was pressed into the soft couch - and waited for sleep to come.

. . .

Fletch rose stiffly to his paws, stretching slowly on the couch. He could see a bundle of silver fur on the ground near the gap in the wall. _Hollyshade, _he thought. He gazed around, taking in the sleeping shapes of Sunfeather and Dovesong.

_Where's the little kit, Dew?_ He frowned. The kit generally stuck very close to one of the she-cats. _I have to make sure that he hasn't strayed outside; it's very dangerous out there. _

Fletch crouched and jumped down from the couch. He landed with a dull thud on the ground, wincing at the soreness in his stiff limbs. The sandy coloured tom made his way across the Twoleg nest, keeping quiet so he didn't wake the other cats. Moonlight shone through the small gaps in the windows and walls, casting an eerie glow through the dim room.

He reached the gap in the wall, peering outside. He blinked; eyes adjusting to the harsh Twolegplace lights. As they grew used to the amber glow from the stone trees, Fletch made out a small white shape stumbling down the alleyway.

"Dew!" he hissed, quickly making his way over to the kit. "What are you doing out here?" The tom gave only a little whimper as Fletch picked him up by the scruff.

"Don't come out here again. Can't you see how dangerous it is?" Fletch scolded, studying the kit. There was something strange, something off about his little blue eyes. _He's blind, _Fletch realized. A flash of pity shot through him as he gently carried the kit back to the others. _If I was blind, my family would have cast me out much sooner than they did._

As Fletch set the kit down inside the abandoned den; haunting memories of his past flooded back through his mind. This time he couldn't stop them. He stumbled back to the entrance, sitting down in the gap. Twoleg monsters loudly roared past nearby, but Fletch was deaf to them.

_He stood over the small black body of his brother, aged six moons, watching in horror as the rogue that had just murdered precious Raven disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Fletch stared down at the cut, pressing his paws gently against Raven's throat as if he could bring him back to life by stopping the blood._

"_Raven," he whispered, horrified. What would his parents say? They hated Fletch already; they would probably beat him because he couldn't save his brother. _

_Fletch lifted a small paw, gazing miserably down at the crimson blood that stained it. Hot tears rolled down his face, dripping onto the body of his brother. Monsters growled in the distance and he could hear Twolegs hooting, even though it was moonhigh. Fletch felt like he was being swallowed in sadness. _

_There was movement behind him. Fletch turned; surprised to see the faces of his parents. They emerged from the dark alley behind him._

"_Fletch!" exclaimed his mother, her green eyes widening in horror. _

_His father let out a low, rumbling growl. "How could you!"_

"_What did I do?" asked Fletch, scared by the mad light dawning in his mother's eyes._

"_What did you do? You murdered Raven!" she screeched, leaping for him. Fletch let out a yowl of fear._

"_I didn't! It was a rogue; he ran away just then!" he insisted. His mother pinned him down, snarling viciously in his face._

"_Then how do you explain his precious blood on your filthy paws!" she yowled. His father was stalking slowly up behind him. _

"_I tried to stop the bleeding! Please, let me go! I didn't kill Raven!" Fletch pleaded. Hatred rose inside him, an emotion that he didn't feel often. Raven had always been his parents' favourite out of the two. _

"_You liar," his father growled. "Now you're going to pay. We will never forgive you for killing Raven. You are no longer our son!" His father spat in Fletch's face._

Fletch winced, snapping back to the present with a start. The memories of what had happened next were too painful for him to think about. He bowed his head, feeling shame that his parents would always remember him as a cold blooded killer.

"You're looking pretty down," meowed a soft voice from behind him. Fletch didn't turn around, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the stony ground. The cat padded up next to him, sitting down. "What's wrong?"

Fletch flushed under his fur as he realized it was Sunfeather. "I…" He didn't know what to say.

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me," Sunfeather purred, gazing curiously at him. Fletch turned and met her bright amber gaze.

"I'll tell you. When I was s-six moons old, a rogue murdered my brother..." A tear ran down his face. "I-I pressed my paws against his throat to try and stop the bleeding... but it didn't work. Then my parents found me. They accused me of killing him," Fletch mewed miserably.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't think a cat as young as you could have been through so much! I suppose I'm not much older though," Sunfeather sympathised.

"They beat me and chased me away," Fletch continued. "I haven't seen them since." Tears welled up in his eyes. _I miss them so much._

"I'm really sorry," Sunfeather meowed quietly. "But you're safe now; none of us are going to hurt you." Fletch nodded, gazing at Sunfeather. A foreign emotion flashed in her amber eyes. To Fletch's surprise, the pretty she-cat leaned in and pressed her golden pelt against his.

Fletch let out a surprised purr, feeling like he was on fire underneath his pelt. He pressed back against her, staring up at the dark sky with eyes that reflected the harsh orange light around them.

* * *

**Another filler, hope you liked it. Any guesses on my age? Don't if you already know :I Sorry for the long wait, and I changed my pen-name.**

**Tash - Thank you so much! I don't, there are many stories better than me, but your comments mean a lot to me! I'm sorry that I didn't update sooner, I had writer's block. :/ I hope you liked this chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

Hollyshade woke with a start, her silver fur bristling and tail lashing. _Why am I so worked up? _She couldn't remember what had plagued her dreams that night, but it didn't matter now. She glanced around the Twoleg den, reassured to see Sunfeather, Dovesong, Dew and Fletch all sleeping soundly around her.

_It's so peaceful, _she thought, _unlike the raging fire that swept my home away. _Sighing, Hollyshade gave her fur a shake and rose to her paws. _I wonder what the weather is like today,_ she mused. Her mind told her that is was morning, though no light shone through the gaps in the windows.

Stiffly, she trotted across the den to the gap in the wall and poked her head out. Hollyshade was surprised to find rain pouring from the sky, splashing onto the ground. Blue-grey clouds thickly covered the sky. Twoleg monsters growled past on the nearby Thunderpath; their strange round paws churning up water. There weren't as many as the day before, but Hollyshade still winced as their eyes shot beams of light through the rain. It seemed as if the earth had been dipped under-water; the world around her seemed dim and tinted in deep blue.

Hollyshade flicked her tail, turning back inside. She froze as she thought she saw the dark shape of a in the alley. Her blue gaze darted around nervously. _What if it's one of those Death Rogues? _She shuddered at the thought.

She waited for a few heartbeats more; then turned and entered the den again. Her shoulders slumped slightly with relief as no one followed her. Glancing around, she found that Fletch was awake, staring at the roof of the den. His green eyes were slightly glazed.

"Fletch?" whispered Hollyshade, not wanting to wake the others. Fletch turned with a start, his sandy fur bristling slightly in surprise.

"Oh, Hollyshade," he sighed, obviously relieved. The little tom didn't appear to have had a very good sleep; his fur was ruffled and he was slightly slumped.

"What's on your mind, Fletch?" she asked, worried for the tom. He would be an apprentice if he was part of a Clan, and he looked troubled for one so young. _Fletchpaw, _she thought, barely stopping a purr of laughter.

To her surprise, the sandy tom seemed to flush under his fur. "Oh, nothing, I er… I was just, uh, daydreaming?" he stammered uncertainly. It sounded like a question.

"If you say so. But you can always tell us if there's something wrong," Hollyshade meowed. She felt a flash of sympathy and amusement.

Fletch nodded gratefully, his green eyes shining in relief. "Okay," he meowed.

"On this topic, did you want to stay with our group?" she began, watching him nervously. If he stayed, Fletch would be a great asset to the new Clan. He looked nervous too. His gaze was on the roof one heartbeat and the floor the next. Finally, he settled with the windows.

"I don't really know enough about you," he began. "I have no idea of your past, and no idea about what you aim for in the future. But I suppose the same goes for me." He looked worried, almost like he expected Hollyshade would lash out at him.

"That's understandable," Hollyshade mused. "Maybe when Honey arrives, I'll explain our task and past to you all."

Fletch nodded. "I just think that if I have a clearer understanding of you, I can trust you." He ended in a whisper. Hollyshade frowned slightly. _What has happened to him? _

As if right on cue, Honey strode through the entrance. In her jaws was a small, fluffy rodent. The smell of mouse flooded Hollyshade's scent glands. Her stomach rumbled loudly.

"Hey, Honey," Hollyshade greeted, with an embarrassed dip of her head. "Is that for us?"

Honey nodded. "The prey around here was hiding from the rain. All I had to do was find a mouse hole in that trash heap I showed you the other day. Then bam, fresh-kill," she meowed. Hollyshade twitched her whiskers.

"Can I talk to you all?" she asked. Honey looked puzzled, but nodded again. Hollyshade glanced around, seeing that no one was on the couch. She trotted over, waking up Sunfeather and Dovesong as she did.

"Hey, what was that for?" Sunfeather complained, blinking blearily. Hollyshade sprang up onto the couch, turning around.

"You'll see," she meowed. Fletch was herding Dew over to the group. The little kit had been exploring his surroundings; it was lucky that he hadn't wandered outside and gotten lost.

Hollyshade raised her voice. "I asked Fletch this morning if he wanted to join. He explained that he didn't know enough about us to fully trust everyone. So I said that I would tell the group about our past and aim for the future. Honey, you have been a great help to us. You haven't said anything about joining, and you have Twolegs. But here is our story," she meowed.

With that, she began their story, the story of sadness and persistence.

. . .

Fletch was still staring up at her, his green eyes wide with disbelief and sympathy. Hollyshade had finished her story a few minutes ago, and Fletch had begun his.

"I had no idea that those things had happened to you!" he exclaimed. Hollyshade twitched her whiskers.

"And I had no idea that your parents drove you out," she replied. "Have you made a decision? You can take as long as you want."

Fletch nodded slowly. "I have decided that joining this group is the best path for me. I believe that I can help you," he meowed. The feeling in his words was obvious as he voiced his decision.

Hollyshade dipped her head happily. "We accept your decision. Welcome, Fletch!" she announced. Sunfeather let out a purr, gazing at the couch. Hollyshade frowned, leaning out over the edge. She was extremely amused to find Dew climbing up the couch, his little claws digging into the soft pelt. He let out a squeak, as if he could feel the gazes of the other cats on his pelt.

Hollyshade purred, grabbing the white kit by the scruff. She lifted him up and placed him on the couch next to her. Dew weighed no more than a mouse or two, even though he was around two moons old.

Honey was sitting to the side of the group, gazing thoughtfully at her. Hollyshade returned her gaze expectantly.

"I haven't decided anything yet. But this task from your StarClan is certainly interesting," she meowed. Hollyshade nodded. _I hope she decides to join us. She would be a really great asset to our group._

. . .

The rain was still pouring down. Hollyshade felt claws of hunger scrape her belly as it let out a huge rumble.

"Do you want to go hunting?" she asked, trotting over to Sunfeather and Dovesong. Honey had left earlier; she explained that her Twolegs would become worried about her in the current weather.

"Maybe," Sunfeather sighed. "I don't really want to go out there though." Her gaze travelled lazily over to the entrance.

"But I'm so hungry!" Hollyshade playfully whined. Dovesong twitched her whiskers.

"Well, I'm coming!" the white she-cat meowed. "I get hungry too." Hollyshade twitched her whiskers.

"Fine, I'll come too. Fletch, can you look after Dew?" Sunfeather sighed.

Hollyshade glanced over to the sandy tom. He lifted his head, his green eyes flashing in the dim light.

"Okay," he meowed firmly. "I'll make sure he stays in here."

Hollyshade knew he would. Fletch was a trustworthy cat; and honest too. He wouldn't let anything happen to the little kit. But at the same time, she wasn't sure that he had any fighting skills.

"Let's go," Hollyshade meowed, pushing away her doubt. She trotted through the entrance. Her pelt was soaked in seconds; her normally fluffy silver fur was plastered to her sides. Dovesong sighed, padding out after her. Sunfeather took up the rear.

"So where are we going to hunt?" she asked, shaking drops of moisture from her whiskers. They were quickly replaced.

Hollyshade thought for a moment. "Honey said that she found that mouse near the dump. I think there would be the best place to hunt right now," she explained. Dovesong and Sunfeather nodded in unison. Hollyshade set off, following the path that Honey had showed her a few days earlier.

The twisting streets of Twolegplace seemed even more menacing in the dimness. Monsters splashed relentlessly through deep puddles of water. Hollyshade was soaked with mud more than once. She shook her head in disgust.

Eventually, the Twoleg dump camp into view. All of the waste appeared to be sodden, just as the she-cats were. Hollyshade reluctantly crept forward, waiting to scent or hear prey.

"As if we're going to find anything," grumbled Sunfeather. Hollyshade just shook her head, stalking nearer to the looming pile of trash. As she neared it, she caught the faint scent of a mouse. She waved her silver tail to the others, signalling for them to stay behind.

Hollyshade reached the trash pile, wrinkling her nose at the overwhelming scent. Ignoring the rain pelting down onto the ground, she crept up to a mouse hole. The smell of mouse was obviously stronger here. Making sure that there was no way for the prey to escape; she quickly stuck her paw down the hole. She winced as her paw brushed the slimy trash. Hollyshade quickly unsheathed her claws as her paw brushed something furry. She dug them in and pulled her paw out, seeing a mouse hanging from her claws. It was still alive.

Hollyshade slammed her paw against the ground, ending the mouse's life with a thump. It let out a tiny squeak. _I hope it doesn't scare away the rest of the prey._

"It's like fishing for mice!" purred Dovesong. Hollyshade nearly leaped into the air. She had been so intent on catching the mouse that she hadn't noticed Dovesong approaching behind her.

Hollyshade let out a laugh. "Yes, it is rather like that." Looking around, she twitched her whiskers. It really was fishing, with the deep puddles of water lying around.

"I'm going to try for some prey," announced Sunfeather, coming up behind them.

Dovesong nodded. "So will I." Hollyshade gazed around the dump, scanning for more mouse holes. She was distracted by a flicker of movement that she saw out of the corner of her eye.

Creeping along slowly, she approached the corner of the dump where she had seen the movement. Hollyshade caught the scent of another cat. It wasn't Sunfeather or Dovesong. Fear rushed through her as she realized it was the scent of a Death Rogue.

Carefully, she made her way to the corner. Peering around the heap of rubbish, she was surprised to see nothing there. The reek of the rogue was still strong.

She let out a shriek of alarm as something barrelled into her head on. Hollyshade was pushed down onto the rough ground. Through the ringing in her ears she heard the thud of fading pawsteps. Anger flared up inside her as she realized that she hadn't been able to catch a glimpse of the cat. But it was quenched as quickly as if the pounding rain could extinguish it. She sat up, shaking her head. The worried face of Dovesong appeared around the corner.

"Are you okay, Hollyshade? We heard you shriek," she asked anxiously. Sunfeather trotted up behind the white she-cat with two limp mice hanging from her jaws. Hollyshade shook her head again, dazedly. Her ears had nearly stopped ringing.

"I'm fine," she meowed. "Somecat just ran into me, is all."

Dovesong still had an anxious look on her face. "Alright, if you say so. Do you want to go back now? It's getting pretty late," she said.

Hollyshade noticed that it was even dimmer than before, if that was even possible. "Alright," she agreed.

She rose to her paws, slightly wincing at a pain in her left foreleg. _The cat must have twisted it when it hit me. _Hollyshade limped over to her mouse.

"Are you okay?" Sunfeather meowed. Hollyshade nodded, picking up the sodden mouse in her jaws. Her belly rumbled loudly. It still smelled good, even though it had been living in a dump in Twolegplace.

Dovesong had another mouse in her jaws. _That's four in all. Enough for us; and maybe Fletch can share with Dew. _The prey was certainly running plentifully in the dump.

Hollyshade set off down the streets, following the winding maze that Honey had showed her.

. . .

When they reached the den, it was obvious that night had fallen. The world outside was black, and rain still thundered down.

Fletch's eyes lit up as her saw the soaked prey. "Oh good, you found some!" he exclaimed.

"Prey was running well today," Hollyshade meowed. She dropped her mouse in front of Fletch. "Do you mind sharing with Dew?"

"Not at all," he replied, a solemn look on his face. Dew was tumbling around on the ground. "Dew!" called Fletch. "Dinner time!"

The little white kitten stopped, looking confused. Then his face brightened and he raced over to Fletch, running headlong into him.

Fletch purred. "You have to learn to stop, don't you?" Dew turned his face towards Fletch's, as if he was trying to make eye contact.

"Y-yes," he meowed; then burst into a purr. Hollyshade felt a rush of affection. Dew had finally spoken, it was slightly overdue. She purred.

"Have a good dinner," she laughed, turning and padding over to where Sunfeather and Dovesong were eating their mice. There was one left for Hollyshade, so she settled down next to it and started to eat, letting the succulent flavours fill her mouth.

. . .

Everyone was asleep but Hollyshade. Fletch was curled up on the soft ground, next to the fluffy white ball that was Dew. Sunfeather and Dovesong had taken their usual positions, on a large bag that rustled when you moved on it. The couch was open for Hollyshade to sleep on. But she wasn't tired. Instead, she was wondering about the mysterious Death Rogue that had been following them around all day.

_Maybe he was sent to spy, _she guessed. _If so, the Death Rogues will soon know our location. At the moment, they seem to be leaving us alone. But once they learn that we're a potential threat, they'll change their boundaries. Perhaps they'll attack cats wandering around on the streets, or maybe they'll just raid us. I suppose it will just be us, although we'd be a good excuse to gain power over the other cats here. When the time comes, we have to be prepared. _

Hollyshade was almost asleep, lying on the brightly coloured couch. That was until she heard a thud and a scuffling noise outside, through the relentless rain. Her neck fur stood on end, and she opened her eyes wide. Her gaze flicked around. _It's that rogue again, _she thought. Alarm crept over her.

She didn't know how long it had been, but soon she drifted off to sleep again, lulled by the lack of noise outside. And as she did, a shadowy figure crept away through the streets of Twolegplace, its destination the South Death Rogues warehouse.

**AN: I'm sorry if that was really boring, it's hard to write Hollyshade chappies now :/ I'm trying to make every second chapter centre around Hollyshade, but not always in her perspective. But, the next few will be exciting. I've had to hold onto this for a couple of hours after I finished it, because our power was disconnected, and therefore our internet :O Now we're going back into the time machine :D to see a little more of our villain! :P**

**-Issy the Awesome XD**


	9. Chapter 9

He sat in his usual position, licking a paw. It had been a day since he had attacked the tom, during which he had done nothing at all except laze around in the warehouse.

Of course, he had done some plotting. Thornshadow needed a way to get rid of Hollyshade and her little friends. He planned to overthrow the South Branch of Death Rogues, then the other branches, one at a time. It wouldn't be easy, but it wasn't impossible.

He had noticed during his time in the warehouse that the cats that hung around were more his type than any other. Even when sunlight shone through the window, they seemed to be shrouded in darkness.

So Thornshadow planned to make close friends and allies in the rogues. Once he had enough, he would turn against Scar and overthrow him. One of the cats seemed particularly promising. He was a black tom by the name of Fang.

Fang had been hanging around Thornshadow, bringing him prey from time to time. He didn't seem to be sucking up to him, but at the same time he wasn't scared or in awe of him. Thornshadow liked this, as he didn't want a weak, cowering 'friend'.

Maybe he even would make some friends. Real friends, not just allies or fake friends that turned out to be servants. The idea was foreign to him; the dark-hearted tom had never had a real friend. So far, Thornshadow hadn't spoken to Fang, just nodding his thanks when the tom brought him some prey. But today was the day he would make his first move. The moon was still hanging above his head, shining through the warehouse windows, so Thornshadow decided to get some sleep. _Sleep is overrated, _he thought, twitching his whiskers.

. . .

Peering out of his crate, he saw that dawn light was seeping through the broken windows. Cats all around him were stirring. There were many cats in the South Branch. A cat wouldn't think that there were so many evil-hearted beings around. Maybe not all of them were evil. Thornshadow guessed that some of them had to join by force.

But the cats were not what woke him up. The noise that had pulled him out of his disturbed sleep was the sound of pawsteps approaching. Thornshadow had been raised to be alert for danger, so he woke easily at the sound.

He could scent Fang at the entrance to his den, the wooden crate. It was large and spacious, as well as warm.

"Come in," he growled roughly. Fang entered, not looking the least bit scared. His golden eyes didn't glint in fear. That bothered him slightly, but he pushed the feeling down. There was a fat vole hanging by its tail from Fang's jaws. He dropped it in front of Thornshadow.

"Want to share?" the black tom asked. Thornshadow was taken aback at the offer, although he kept his mask of cool indifference firmly on his face. He nodded, shuffling his massive form slightly to the right so that Fang's smaller body could lie down comfortably.

"How was your sleep?" asked Thornshadow. He wasn't usually one to comment on something so mundane, but he guessed that Fang was that type.

"Do you honestly give a mouse's tail?" Fang grumbled, taking a bite of the vole. Its scent flooded the air, making Thornshadow's belly rumble.

He shook his head. "No, not really," he meowed gruffly. Thornshadow leaned down and tore a piece of the fresh-kill off, chewing slowly. It tasted okay, but nothing as good as AspenClan's prey.

"What do you want then?" Fang asked, taking another bite. The dimness of the crate was comforting. Thornshadow was slightly surprised at his bluntness. The dark tabby tom shuffled forwards, sticking his head out of the crate. Most cats had already left on their 'business'.

"Can I trust you?" he growled suspiciously. He didn't doubt that he would be able to take care of Fang if something went wrong. But he wanted to be on the safe side.

"Yes," Fang replied. His eyes flashed in the dark crate. Thornshadow knew he was telling the truth. He sighed. _Where do I begin, _he pondered.

"I want to overthrow the Death Rogues, starting with this branch, then moving onto the next, then the next," Thornshadow began, speaking quietly.

Fang just nodded. No surprise showed on his face. "I had a feeling that you were that sort of cat," he murmured.

"I have enemies," he continued quietly. "I want to manipulate the Death Rogues into a… pack, or army. Yes, army is the word." Fang nodded again.

"I don't like the way that we're run… it's too free, we need stricter rules. Only if I'm running it though," he purred. Thornshadow let out a purr too. He was surprised.

"Maybe when I overthrow this lousy group we can lead together," he suggested. And he meant it; Thornshadow wouldn't go back on his offer.

Fang dipped his head. "I accept your offer." His eyes flashed in the darkness, but Thornshadow couldn't tell what emotion they held. "So how do you think we can overthrow them?"

Thornshadow thought for a moment. "I think that we have to gain Scar's trust. He seems like quite an untrusting cat, but I think if we suck up to him and try to please him, well…" He broke off with a cruel purr. "And then we can strike. Most cats here aren't that loyal to him. They really just live in his group because here they can do whatever they want. If we take down the loyal cats, the group will be left weak and easy to mould." He cackled slightly.

Fang let out a low chuckle. "That sounds good," he purred. This time, Thornshadow could identify what flashed in his eyes. It was pure evil. On first sight, Fang didn't seem like the evil type. But once you got to know him, you could truly see what he was like inside.

. . .

He stared across the warehouse and out through a window, watching the rain pour down. Fang approached him without hesitation.

"You say you have enemies," the black tom began. "I would like to go and spy on them. We need to know more about them and what they're like.

Thornshadow nodded. "Indeed. They are a group, and their aim is to keep gaining more members. We need constant updates on their numbers," he rumbled.

Fang frowned. "Do you know where they are currently staying?" Thornshadow nodded and began to describe it. When he left the scene with Hollyshade, he backtracked and followed them back to their abandoned Twoleg nest.

"I see," Fang growled as Thornshadow finished. "I'll hang around there all day."

"Are you sure you want to do this? It's pouring out there, plus it's freezing cold," Thornshadow growled. He didn't understand why the tom was doing this. _Unless he's sucking up to me so that when we gain power he can overthrow me, _he thought suspiciously. His green eyes narrowed slightly.

Fang just nodded, turning to leave. As he padded away, Thornshadow kept his gaze firmly fixed on the mysterious tom.

. . .

Fang padded into Thornshadow's den. His fur was soaking wet and he was shivering slightly.

"Well, how did it go?" he asked impatiently. Night had fallen long ago; he assumed that the moon was high in the sky above the dark rainclouds.

"Well. I'm fairly sure they didn't hear me," Fang answered. Uncertainty flashed in his eyes. Suspicion rose up inside Thornshadow, but he shrugged it off. He opened his mouth to ask what Fang had learned, but the tom was already continuing.

"I'm not sure how many you know of, but when I visited there were six," he began. Thornshadow narrowed his eyes, ears flattening. There were more at the moment than he would like. "They were discussing who would stay. There was a silver she-cat, a golden she-cat, a white she-cat and a light brown she-cat. There was also a white kit and a sandy tom. The sandy tom appeared to join their little group but the brown she-cat did not," Fang hissed. Thornshadow just nodded his thanks. "So these cats are your enemies?" Fang pressed before Thornshadow could think.

"Yes," he growled. "I came from the Clans." Thornshadow saw Fang's ears flatten. "But they have been destroyed now, by a fire." Slowly, Fang's ears pricked up again. "The three she-cats came from a rival Clan, and aim to build a new one. I have made it my mission to stop them, and I aim to do so with an army of these rogues," he finished.

Fang nodded. "I had no idea that you came from the Clans. Although I thought that your name was kind of strange. I'm glad to know that you don't have a scrap of loyalty left to those Clans of yours."

Thornshadow let out a deep, rumbling growl. "I had so much power in my Clan. I was going to become leader, with nine lives! StarClan might not have given them to me, but there are other forces that would have! Even though I do not know of them, I do know that there has to be a place for bad cats to be punished in the afterlife," he ranted. "I was _so _close. I planned to murder the leader, life by life. Not even StarClan could have stopped me. Then I would have become the leader. I would have lead my Clan to royalty.

"I would have taken over the forests, crushing puny IvyClan and HazelClan into rubble. My Clan should have lived like kings and queens!" Thornshadow finished; his ears flat to his head. He lashed his tail violently, glaring at Fang. The tom seemed unsurprised, not even fearful of Thornshadow. This angered him further, although Fang wouldn't have been able to tell.

"Where I came from, I wanted to be leader too. But that's a story for another time," Fang meowed quietly. Thornshadow let out a hiss of frustration, feeling his anger fade slightly. But it still burned inside him, unable to be quenched. _I suppose that will burn until I get my revenge, _he pondered.

"So you're going to use the Death Rogues to destroy the Clan survivors," Fang continued.

"Yes, I'll achieve that, even if it's the last thing I ever do in this life!" Thornshadow growled, hating himself for saying something so cliché. "And death won't stop me either. Whatever happens after I die, I will find a way to get around it! Nothing is going to stop me!" He felt like roaring this out to the world, but then the Death Rogues would think he was stupid.

Fang nodded. "The same goes for me. Even if we end up in different places when we die, I won't stop. Because now we're allies… friends, even, but that sounds soft," he agreed. "And now I'm going to get some rest, because I'm tired and wet."

Thornshadow just nodded, watching the tom trot away. _Maybe I can trust him after all… _But Thornshadow wasn't the type to give out his trust easily. And neither, it appeared, was Fang. Eventually, Fang would earn his trust, and vice versa. At the moment though, Thornshadow wasn't sure what to think of the black tom.

. . .

_He gazed around, trying to see through the mist that shrouded the trees. The dark tom glanced up at the sky, his green eyes glinting. It appeared to be night time, but there were no stars and no moon. He shuddered slightly; then relaxed. It felt comfortable here. As Thornshadow gazed around, he saw the crooked and twisted shapes of trees reaching out through the eerie mist. _

_The shape of a cat appeared in front of him, growing larger as it came closer. Thornshadow stood his ground, claws unsheathed and his ears flat to his head._

_A pair of eyes flashed, and Thornshadow was surprised to see that they were different colours. One of them was bright amber and the other was icy blue._

"_Welcome to the Dark Forest," rasped the cat, emerging from the mist. He was a large white tom. "This is the place forsaken cats come when they die, or when they feel no remorse for their crimes." His voice sounded like rough pebbles scraping together. Thornshadow felt a tremor of fear, watching the mist swirl around him._

"_I'm not dead, am I?" he hissed._ If that filthy tom has murdered me in my sleep…

_The white tom chuckled, his mismatched eyes flashing. "No. You see, we Dark Forest cats have found a way over time to contact the living. Long ago, so many seasons we can't count them, there was a great battle. Many of the leaders of this forest were killed a second time as we tried to invade the living world," he growled. _

_Thornshadow watched him carefully, keeping alert. He felt like there were many gazes on his pelt. _

"_But over the generations, more cats joined our dark realm. We have found new tactics, and can even contact you when you are awake, if you wish," he continued. _

"_Why are you telling me this?" he hissed warily. The mist seemed to press even closer, making his pelt fluff up._

"_Because we want to guide you, be your StarClan," meowed the tom, hissing the last word. "We want to guide you in your plans for revenge, help you succeed."_

_Thornshadow thought for a moment. _If he's trying to blackmail me… well, he's dead. He could have done something horrible, but that's good. I suppose it won't do any harm to let them help me.

"_I accept your offer," Thornshadow meowed firmly. The tom trotted up to him and touched noses. Thornshadow felt coldness flash through him, freezing him to the spot. In alarm, he tried to move, but it was like he was a cat of ice. _

_The tom kept his nose pressed against Thornshadow's. "We will meet again, tomorrow night," the tom hissed. "For now, I have a mission for you. Listen closely. Hurt those scum, you know the cats I am talking about," he spat. "Do something, I don't know. It will unsettle them, and hurt them deeply. Even kill if you must. But this is your first step of revenge."_

_Thornshadow would have nodded, but he was frozen. The tom stepped backwards, breaking the contact. Thornshadow could move again. But the coldness inside him had stayed. _

_He wasn't sure what, but the Dark Forest cat had done something to change him. He was no longer the same._

_Thornshadow had no time left to ponder as the dream shattered around him._

__**AN: Bleh, Mr Thorny is insane. Deal with it XD And he's pretty evil too. **

**So now, we're getting to the first part of our plot. THE TWOLEGPLACE. dun dun DUUUUH. **

**And I got no reviews that last chapter D': sadness...**

**-Issystar XD **


	10. Chapter 10

_He could smell her scent, the familiar whiff of milk and safety. He could hear her, padding ahead of him, always out of his reach. No matter how hard he tried, he could never catch up to her._

_Dew let out a pitiful wail, knowing what would come next. Through the darkness of his dream, he sensed the evil that was suddenly present. Dew braced himself for the yowl that would come from his mother, his ears flat against his head. _

_It came, as it did every single night after his mother disappeared. Her yowl pierced the murky air. _

"_Mother! Mother!" cried Dew, rushing forward blindly. But there was nothing there, only the rough grass beneath his paws, and an evil cackle of laughter. _

-o0o-

Dew woke with a jolt. He reached out with his paws, feeling for where he was sleeping. He could scent Fletch sleeping nearby, his breathing steady and calm.

From the warmth on his pelt, Dew gathered that there was sun streaming through the window that he was sleeping near. He stretched out, letting a small purr emerge from his throat.

_What am I going to do today? _ Dew thought eagerly. Moving slowly, he rose to his paws, using his tail and paws to make sure that here was nothing around that he would hurt himself on.

He started moving forward, sliding his paws along the ground in front of him. There had been so many new sights and smells when they had arrived at the Twolegplace. Dew constantly had to avoid objects that he had never encountered before.

He let out a grunt as he ran into the wall. He took a few steps backwards, scenting the air to try and find where the entrance was.

With a flinch, he remembered Fletch scolding him a few days ago. _But I'm not going to get lost this time, _he thought, trying to convince himself.

Dew scented warm green-leaf air flowing through from a gap in the wall. _That's the way out! _ He made his way carefully over to the gap. Without hesitation, he stepped through the opening.

He sighed as the warm green-leaf breeze ruffled his whiskers. The sun felt warm on his pelt, and he imagined a huge glowing ball in the sky, as he had heard others describe it. The image was somewhat comforting to him, as he spent his days in the darkness.

"What should I do today?" he murmured quietly. Opening his mouth, Dew scented the air. Bitter scents of the Twolegplace flooded his scent glands, but with them came green-leaf.

Dew loved green-leaf. It was so warm and perfect, with lots of prey and a nice breeze. That was all he really knew about it.

Dew turned his head and swivelled his ears to the side, listening to what was going on inside the den. No one had stirred yet, so he started to trot off down the alley, using his whiskers and tail to avoid the stone walls. He let out a yelp of surprise as something grabbed his scruff and yanked him backwards.

Fear flooded through him, and he struggled to escape the cat's grasp.

"Relax, Dew," purred the cat. He stopped struggling and went limp, taking a deep breath. Sunfeather's scent flooded his scent glands.

"Where were you going?" she meowed. Dew shook his head, trying to push past her and into the den. Sunfeather's tail stopped him as it curled gently around him, pulling him back.

"Were you sneaking out?" she asked impatiently. Dew shook his head again.

"No!" he insisted. Sunfeather didn't listen.

"Well, I suppose it is boring for you in there. But that doesn't mean you can wander off wherever you want, Dew," she scolded.

Dew scowled, then turned and padded back into the den. He held his head high, trying to seem nonchalant.

That was when he ran into Fletch. The older tom let out a squeak of surprise, and Dew heard him jump to his paws.

"Sorry," Dew apologised gruffly, stepping backwards. He could feel the gazes of Sunfeather and Fletch warming his pelt. "Stop staring at me!" he hissed. The warmth disappeared.

"Come on, the others are still sleeping. We should get some more rest too," Sunfeather meowed, her voice faint, like she was looking in a different direction. Dew scowled again and padded reluctantly over to his nest.

-o0o-

He woke to the sound of a cat moving outside. None of the other cats had heard it, because they didn't stir. Partly, it might be because of all the hunting they did earlier in the day. But the other reason would be that Dew had outstanding hearing.

Cold night air seeped through the crack. Dew shivered, huddling up closer to the couch. He had his back pressed up against it. The cat moved again, and this time it sounded closer.

_Maybe I should wake someone up, _he thought nervously. He opened his mouth to say something when a familiar smell hit him. The smell had been on Fletch's pelt when he was rescued, and on Hollyshade's a day or so ago. It was a scent that Hollyshade had taught him to recognise.

_A Death Rogue. _Dew was about to let out a yowl when he heard pawsteps brushing lightly against the ground, creeping through the entrance. Dew kept silent, burying his head in his paws and trying to hide.

_If I don't do anything, the rogue won't see me and he'll leave me alone, _Dew reasoned. But then the pawsteps turned in his direction. He knew immediately that the rogue was going for him. A yowl built in his throat and he opened his mouth to release it, standing up.

A tail was stuffed into his mouth, and he choked on its fur. Dew scrabbled, attempting to run away, but the Death Rogue grabbed his scruff, hauling him from the ground. A growl built low in the rogue's throat, but he didn't release it.

Dew stopped struggling, hoping that the rogue would let him go. But his hopes were dashed when the intruder carried him out of the entrance, away from his adopted family.

Dew thrashed about, more wildly than last time. All the rogue did was break into a loping run. Dew felt himself swinging through the cold night air, tightly grasped in the cat's jaws. He let out a whimper as he started to go numb from cold and fear.

He heard a monster rush by and twisted, trying to claw the some part of the rogue. Dew assumed that they were crossing a Thunderpath. The rogue didn't even flinch.

Soon, he stopped walking. Dew scented another cat.

"Well, well. What have we here?" purred the new cat.

"It's a stupid kit from that group, Fang," the rogue meowed, sounding as if he expected Fang to know.

"Sorry, Thornshadow. I guess I know what you meant now," Fang replied. _Thornshadow, _Dew thought numbly. _That sounds kind of like Hollyshade's, Dovesong's and Sunfeather's names. _

"He put up a bit of a fight. Clawed my nose," growled Thornshadow gruffly, still holding Dew's scruff.

"He'll be of good use then, a strong fighter," Fang purred. "Come on, the sun is nearly up. No doubt those filthy 'Clan' cats are going to come and look for him."

Thornshadow picked him up again, and Dew shivered. He didn't like the way Fang used the word Clan. The Clans weren't bad, Sunfeather had told him. Were they?

-o0o-

_He was dreaming. It seemed vivid and real, but also had an ethereal touch to it. With horror, he realised that is was one of his bad memories._

"_Ouch!" Dew hissed; backing up from the tree he had collided into. He shook his head, turning back to his mother. He would just have to miserably go along with it._

"_Come on Dew, hurry up!" purred the soft voice of his mother. Dew struggled to catch up to her, stumbling through the rough undergrowth. His head ached slightly._

"_Slow down!" he puffed, wincing as something sharp stabbed into his paw. He heard his mother's pawsteps stop, and he hesitated, confused. Then he heard them thud onto the ground. _

_Stretching his nose out, he scented the damp smell of bark. Dew realized there was a log crossing their path._

"_You can do it, Dew!" encouraged his mother, her voice sounding faint and far away. Lilac believed that she had to get Dew ready for the rest of his life early, and to do this she often left him to achieve things by himself._

_In this case, he had to climb over a big log that was at least twice his height. Dew sighed, reaching out tentatively with his paws. As he felt the rough bark of the fallen log, he unsheathed his claws, digging them into the tree for a better grip. _

_Dew reached upwards as far as he could; grabbing on with his claws. He lifted his legs from the ground and dug them into the wood. _

_He purred loudly, feeling like a spider as he hung onto the log with all four sets of claws. He heard the encouraging purr of his mother echo his own. _

_Feeling like he could climb a mountain, Dew used his back legs to push himself up more, surprised to find that the log was smaller than he originally thought. He scrambled over the top of the log, pausing for a moment to listen to the bright sounds of birdsong that sang through the forest. _

_Dew landed on the other side of the log, huffing as he was momentarily winded. The kit scrambled over to his mother, using his strong sense of smell to guide him. _

"_You did it, little one," Lilac purred, pressing her side against his. Dew let out a rumbling purr. "I'll always be here for you," his mother promised. _

_She straightened up. "Come on, we need to hurry, or your father will get worried about us," she announced. Lilac took off again; Dew could hear her pawsteps pounding on the earth. _

_He hared off after her, panting with exhilaration. The little kit could tell that the sun was sinking in the sky, as his pelt was not as intensely warmed by its rays. _

_Dew narrowly avoided a tree as he followed his mother. He had never met his father before because he had jobs to do. Dew wasn't sure why he was so busy, but his mother said that he had 'important duties'. _

_He could feel the chill of the night air seeping through his fluffy pelt. His legs were exhausted and his paws were aching. _

"_Mother, I need a rest," he complained, slowing. The birdsong had disappeared, leaving the forest almost silent, apart from his mother's pawsteps and the rustling of leaves on trees._

"_We're nearly there," came the reply. His mother sounded even further away than before._

_Dew couldn't go any further. He collapsed onto the ground, exhaustion tugging at his body. A cold night breeze swept through the forest, causing the leaves to rustle furiously, like they were hissing secrets of darkness. Lilac trotted back to her son. _

"_I'll carry you, little one," she meowed, grasping him by the scruff and lifting him into the air. Dew felt oddly free as he swang gently to and fro from her jaws. _

_Soon, she came to a stop. "Blade, are you there?" Lilac called. Dew heard two steps of pawsteps approaching._

"_Lilac," purred one of the cats. _

"_Oh Blade, I was so worried about you!" Lilac exclaimed, letting out a loud purr and setting Dew on the ground. "Who is this with you?" she asked curiously. _

_The pause that came was slightly uncomfortable. "Uh, this is Maia," Blade meowed. "She's uh, my sister. And she's staying with me for a while." _

_Lilac seemed satisfied with this explanation, but Dew thought that there was something strange about this. "This is your son, Dew," she explained to Blade._

_Blade crouched down in front of him. "Hello Dew," he purred, still sounding slightly uncomfortable. Maia mewed a greeting to him too. Dew let out a loud purr, but stopped when he heard a quiet rustle in the bushes. He pricked his ears._

"_Dew's blind," Lilac meowed, sounding nervous. "He has really good hearing." _

"_Oh," Blade meowed. He seemed slightly put out. After all, it was his first time meeting his son. "Well, what can you hear?" _

_Dew opened his mouth to mewl an answer, but was cut off by Lilac grabbing his scruff. He let out a squeak as he was roughly pushed into a bush._

"_Stay here, and don't move. Remember, I love you," she whispered. Dew let out a meow of fear. _

"_I love you too!" he called as she ran back over to Blade. _

_Two more cats entered the clearing. "Who's this?" one asked, sounding surprised. Dew could detect the falseness underneath his seemingly curious tone._

"_Oh, just some rogue scum," snarled the second. Their false demeanours vanished, revealing their murderous natures. "Let's get rid of them." _

_There was a hiss from Blade, and then the cats exploded into battle. Dew listened in horror to the screeches of his parents and aunt, Maia. He tried to block his ears with his paws, but some sounds were still picked up by his sensitive hearing. Like the yowl of his mother, and then the caterwaul of his father. Dew knew in that moment that he had lost his mother, the most precious cat in his life. He wouldn't survive without her. _

_Then the clearing fell silent. The first rogue began to speak._

"_That's it. I don't think they'll come after us anytime soon," he laughed. Dew choked back the growl that was building in his throat. _

_The second rogue must have agreed, because Dew heard their pawsteps fade away into the forest. Once he decided that they were far enough away, he let out a heartbroken wail and stumbled out of the bush. _

_The second he did so, he was overwhelmed by the scent of blood. Dew made his way over to his family, numb with shock and horror. He ran into his mother's body, and came away with blood on his fur._

"_No! Mother, come back! Father, Maia! No!" Dew yowled, sinking to the ground. Suddenly, his mother shifted underneath him. _

"_Mother!" gasped Dew in surprise. "I thought you were dead!" He started to purr, nuzzling her with his nose._

"_Dew, I… I will be soon. Nothing can stop me from joining the stars now," his mother croaked. _

"_What?" exclaimed Dew. "But you can't die! What will I do without you?" He pressed into his mother's side. _

"_Get a head start, go that way," she rasped quietly, nudging him with her nose. _

"_What? I can't leave you here!" Dew wailed. "I can't!" He shook his head._

"_You have to, Dew. I won't live much longer," his mother croaked. "Please, I love you. The only way you'll survive is to get a head start. Please, Dew. Do it for me."_

_Dew could imagine his mother's pleading expression. He nodded slowly. "Okay," he whispered. "I love you mother. I'll never forget you." _

_He felt his mother shift underneath him, and he let out a last choking purr._

"_Goodbye, son. I'll watch you from the stars, I promise," she whispered, letting out a rattling breath. She fell silent. _

_Dew let out a chilling wail before stumbling away from his mother. Numb, he pressed his nose into his father's pelt, then his aunt's. _

"_Goodbye," he whispered to the sky, turning his head up. Then he stumbled in the direction that his mother had pointed, ignoring the thorns and brambles that tugged and cut at his pelt. He broke into another clearing. Dew knew he wasn't far from his parents. But he just couldn't go any further. _

_Dew collapsed onto the ground, shaking in fear and horror. Finally, he fell silent and let sleep claim him. _

-o0o-

Dew woke up, trembling in horror. His fur was bushed up, and his tail was lashing. Dew felt like screaming; he was about to, but remembered that he didn't know where he was. The memories he held precious, those of his mother, had come back to haunt him. Panicked, he felt around with his tail and paws to find himself in a small, enclosed area.

_Sunfeather, Hollyshade, Dovesong, Fletch! _Dew yowled in his head. _Please, you have to come and rescue me. Please._

**AN: 2722 words, woah! One of my longest chapters so far! In case you didn't realise, that was Dew dreaming about his family. That chapter nearly made me cry, when I was writing about his mother's death. ;-;**

**Okay, my ultimate goal is a hundred reviews. That's pretty unlikely, I know. But I can hope, right? :D**

**Look forwards to the next chapter. You might get a chance to see Hollyshade FLAY those kit-stealers! O.o**

**-Issy**


	11. Chapter 11

"Hollyshade, wake up!" came an insistent voice. Hollyshade let out a quiet growl and curled up in a tight ball. She was lying on the couch, trying to get some more sleep. The air was cold; it felt like a chilling mist had crept into the room, leaving everything damp.

"Hollyshade, please wake up! It's urgent!" came the voice again. Hollyshade snorted and slowly opened her light blue eyes. The world was blurry at first; until she blinked. Then all the sharp details flooded back to her. Fletch was standing right in front of her, his whiskers tickling her nose.

"What do you want, Fletch?" Hollyshade meowed sleepily, shuffling back slightly. She sneezed, shaking her head. Fletch gave her an apologetic look from his bright green eyes.

"Sorry, it's just that when I woke up there was a funny smell in the air. It was slightly familiar, but I couldn't quite recognise it. And then I noticed that Dew was gone, so I went outside, and he wasn't there, so I looked some more and he still wasn't there and I'm so worried about him!" Fletch babbled, his voice rising to a wail. Hollyshade took in the worry on his features. Then his words sank in.

"Wait, Dew is gone? When did you notice this?" she asked, springing to her paws. She ruffled her silver fur against the cold air, trying to keep her balance on the springy couch. The whole room seemed damp and cold.

"Yes, he's gone! I only noticed a few minutes ago so I went to check, and then I decided to tell you!" Fletch cried, his tail lashing in worry. He and Dew had become quite close friends, Hollyshade realised.

"You did the right thing," Hollyshade meowed, blinking in surprise. She began to worry about the little blind kit. "Where did you find the strange scent?" she asked anxiously. She desperately hoped it was still there so they could track it.

Fletch ran across the room, his paws pattering on the damp carpet. Sunfeather lifted her head.

"What's going on?" she asked sleepily. Hollyshade leaped down from the couch, landing with a soft thud. She turned to look at her friend.

"Dew is missing," Hollyshade meowed. "Fletch just noticed so he came to tell me." Worry threatened to overwhelm her. The group wasn't the same without Dew's happy presence. They needed him back, as he would be a great asset to the Clan Hollyshade planned to build.

Dovesong sat up, suddenly alert and wide awake. Her green eyes seemed to bore into Hollyshade. The silver she-cat followed Fletch, trying to ignore Dovesong's stare.

"That's terrible!" Dovesong cried as Hollyshade stopped next to Fletch. The silver she-cat just nodded, opening her mouth to scent the air. To Hollyshade's despair, there was only the faintest scent left in the air.

"Well?" Fletch asked, kneading his paws into the soft carpet. "Who did it? Did someone take him?" Hollyshade shook her head slowly.

"The scent is too faint for me to distinguish, but I have an idea of who it was," she meowed, details forming a bigger picture in her mind. Her fur fluffed up even more. "As for taking him, I believe that this cat did take Dew; and a while ago."

Sunfeather and Dovesong had walked up behind them.

"Well what are we going to do?" Dovesong demanded. "We can't just leave him!" Hollyshade shook her head irritably, turning back to the couch. She trotted over and jumped up onto it.

"Listen up. Please, stop worrying. We aren't going to leave Dew there," Hollyshade began. "You all need to calm down. I think…" she paused for a moment, considering. "I think that one of the Death Rogues took Dew." Fletch just stared at her, his eyes wide in horror. Sunfeather's tail lashed, and Dovesong was still staring at Hollyshade.

"I'm not sure who it was. But it might be the same one that attacked Fletch," Hollyshade continued. "If that's the case, we really need to be more careful. We should always have a guard at the entrance here." Sunfeather was nodding slowly, and Fletch looked terrified.

"But first thing first. We need to get Dew back, as soon as possible. Who knows what the Death Rogues will do to him?" Hollyshade meowed. She let out a growl. "But as a group, we don't have enough cats. We wouldn't be able to take on all of the Death Rogues by ourselves. We're going to need help."

Sunfeather worriedly glanced over at Fletch, as if it were a habit. Dovesong just shuffled her paws.

Honey chose that precise moment to walk through the door. Hollyshade gave a little sigh of relief.

"Honey!" she called. "We need your help." Fletch had turned to look pleadingly at the brown she-cat with his wide green eyes.

Honey frowned. "Where's Dew?" She walked over to Dovesong and sat down next to her.

"That's why we need you. Dew has been taken by a Death Rogue. We're going to get him back, but we need more cats," Hollyshade explained.

Even as she spoke, Hollyshade could see the risks in her plan. It was actually quite unlikely that they would succeed and rescue Dew. Despair began to tug at her mind.

_That's not what a real warrior does, _Hollyshade reminded herself. _A real warrior doesn't give up before they even try. No, a real warrior would try it anyway. For the sake of their Clan. _

She straightened up. Honey was looking at her worriedly. "I have some of my friends around, they might help you," Honey meowed timidly. Hollyshade nodded, feeling determination burn deep inside her.

"Here's the plan - how about Honey goes and finds as many friends as she can, maybe with Fletch? And the Dovesong, Sunfeather and I can look for others," Hollyshade suggested.

Fletch was nodding slowly, glancing over at Honey. Honey seemed satisfied, she was nodding too. Dovesong had slight anger in her eyes, but determination to succeed in their mission covered it.

Sunfeather was her usual calm self, apart from the gleam in her amber eyes. "Alright, let's do it," the golden she-cat announced.

Hollyshade sprang from the couch and landed on the ground. Sunlight had begun to stream through the gap in the window. As she trotted outside, her pelt was warmed by its rays. A light breeze ruffled her fur, but it wasn't enough to chill her. The sky was a deep, cornflower blue, with no clouds in sight.

Sunfeather, Dovesong, Fletch and Honey walked out behind her. "So how about we meet… back here, just before sunset?" Hollyshade asked. They just nodded.

"Alright, see you later then!" she meowed cheerfully, despite the urgency of their mission. She was now confident that they would find and rescue Dew. Having a plan seemed to help that greatly.

Hollyshade turned to the right of the alley, Sunfeather and Dovesong following behind her. The warm day had improved her spirits already, although she was still worried about Dew.

"Where will we start?" Dovesong asked from behind her. Hollyshade thought for a moment.

"Well, I suppose we just look around for a while. On a day like this, there'll be quite a few cats, right?" She didn't even sound convincing to herself; although she decided to go along with it. To Hollyshade's surprise, when she glanced back, Dovesong and Sunfeather were nodding.

They walked down the streets, the sun rising higher in the sky. Hollyshade's pads didn't scrape painfully on the ground anymore; they had hardened from their time in the Twolegplace. The cats had been in the city for around four or five days. Hollyshade let out a quiet sigh at the thought of a soft forest floor. She was tired and sick of the Twolegplace and its stench, not to mention the dangerous cats that seemed to be lurking around every single corner.

Hollyshade stopped when she caught the strong scent of a cat. She heard Dovesong and Sunfeather stop too. The cat seemed to be male, by the scent. It was coming from a garden, behind a neat white fence. There was also a heady flower scent mixed in. Hollyshade stifled a purr at a tom living in a garden full of flowers that smelled like that. It just seemed more like a garden that a slightly pampered she-cat would live in.

Signalling with her tail to Dovesong and Sunfeather, Hollyshade crept towards the fence, not wanting to scare the kittypet. As she reached it, the flower scent nearly overwhelmed her. Hollyshade couldn't see much through the fence, but by the smell she guessed there were a _lot _of flowers in there. Sunfeather gave a little cough, as if the flower scent was making her choke.

Then Hollyshade realised that there was a cat sitting on the fence above, gazing curiously down at them. She recognised the scent immediately as the male kittypet's.

"What brings you here?" meowed the tom. He was black and white, with patches of grey. His warm amber eyes were filled with curiosity.

Hollyshade decided that he wouldn't be a threat. But that didn't mean he would be useless.

"We need cats," she began, glancing back at Dovesong and Sunfeather. She received encouraging looks, and decided to continue. "We have a group. Not a bad group, but one that cats can live in safely. One of the members of our group was a little white kit. Last night, he was stolen by the Death Rogues."

Sudden fear and anger flashed in the tom's eyes. He bristled. "The Death Rogues? How dare they steal a kit? That's just plain wrong." Hollyshade nodded, feeling encouraged by his response. Surely he would help them.

"We plan to get the kit, Dew, back tonight. But there aren't enough of us. That's why we're looking for cats, to help us rescue him." She watched carefully for the tom's response.

He frowned slightly, still gazing down at her. Then he sprang down onto the ground next to her, landing somewhat gracefully. He stood, face to face with her. He was around her height too. His grey, white and black pelt gleamed in the sunlight, like he groomed it every day. Which he probably did, Hollyshade guessed.

"Well…. I don't really want to get involved with those cats. I mean, they're kinda scary…" the tom trailed off. Hollyshade's heart sank, and she heard a little sigh come from Dovesong.

"But that doesn't mean I don't want to help that kit!" he exclaimed, grinning widely at her. Hollyshade stared at him in surprise.

"Gotcha!" he purred, flicking his tail. "In case you hadn't noticed by now, I'm a bit of a prankster. Anyway, I wouldn't leave a kit with the Death Rogues if there was something I could do about it!"

Hollyshade laughed. "You got me. Thank you so much! So what's your name?

The tom purred. "No problem. And you can call me Smokey. I'm sure my Twolegs won't mind if I spend the night away."

Hollyshade's mood turned serious. "But what if… what if you don't come back? I mean, these are the Death Rogues we're talking about," she sighed.

Smokey's gaze darkened slightly. "Oh well," he meowed nonchalantly. "That's just a chance I'll have to take, eh?"

Hollyshade nodded again. "Alright. Thanks so much, again! We still need to find more cats though, so come on!" She laughed and turned to the others. "Let's go!"

They nodded enthusiastically, and the group trotted away, leaving the garden smelling strongly of flowers behind.

-o0o-

"Hmm…" he meowed.

Hollyshade was perched precariously on another fence, this one a deep brown. She was staring down at a black tom below her, trying not to fall flat on her face. The fence didn't provide a very good grip, and she swayed in the light breeze.

"Well?" Hollyshade asked impatiently. The black tom gazed back at her calmly with deep yellow eyes.

"I'm getting there. I'm not as young as you," he replied, irritating Hollyshade even further than the troublesome fence. They had travelled for a bit more, until the sun was shining high in the azure sky. They had come across this tom in another garden as they passed it, catching the tom's scent. Hollyshade glared at him. He was annoying her, and seemed to be enjoying it.

"I suppose… that I could possibly join your little group," meowed the tom, grinning. He jumped up onto the fence next to Hollyshade, nearly unbalancing her. She sighed in relief and success. So far, they had two more cats. Even two could make a big difference, and she was sure that Honey and Fletch would have found more.

"Thank you," Hollyshade meowed, gratefully dipping her head to him. "This means a lot to us."

The tom just nodded. "The name's Reggie. I think a little adventure might stretch my legs for once." Hollyshade awkwardly leaped onto the ground, nearly landing on Sunfeather. The golden she-cat let out a playful hiss. She had been fairly quiet so far, as had Dovesong. Reggie jumped down behind her.

"Would you like to speak next?" Hollyshade asked, gazing at Sunfeather. She nodded, stepping forwards. As the group started off again, almost bouncing with success, Hollyshade let Sunfeather take the lead.

-o0o-

"Leave me alone! Go away!" the she-cat hissed at Sunfeather, flattening her ears. Sunfeather sighed.

"Are you sure?" she asked. The group had tried to get this white she-cat to join, but she clearly didn't want to.

"Of course I'm sure!" she spat, her white eyes flashing with anger. "You don't need to ask me five times!"

"Fine. But you don't know what you're missing out on," Sunfeather teased, refusing to let the she-cat's attitude get to her.

The white cat let out a deep growl and unsheathed her claws. Sunfeather must have gotten the message.

"Goodbye!" called Sunfeather cheekily. Hollyshade stifled a purr of amusement. As they walked away, she could feel the she-cat's gaze hot on her pelt. Refusing to be disheartened, Reggie, Smokey, Dovesong, Sunfeather and Hollyshade continued on.

-o0o-

The sun was setting, halfway between sunhigh and sunset. The warm day was cooling, and the breeze was starting to chill.

Hollyshade still hadn't gained any more cats for their group, and they had to meet the others soon. She still wanted at least one more cat. They couldn't take any chances with Dew's life at risk.

She sighed. Her feet were aching like she'd stood in the snow all day, sore with a numbing touch. They had met another cat, and Hollyshade suspected that it was the same one they had seen on their first day in Twolegplace, the tom that had annoyed them from the fence. Of course, he didn't want to join the group. Although Hollyshade thought she had seen a longing glint in his eyes.

Dovesong was in the lead. Her head was held high, but Hollyshade could see the weariness that seemed to come from all of them in the way her tail drooped slightly, and she appeared to be limping. The Clan cats had never been walking all day in Twolegplace before.

Dovesong stopped. Hollyshade caught the scent of another tom. But it seemed that there hadn't been as many cats out as they thought. The scent was coming from behind a long, unnaturally square bush that was acting as a fence for another Twoleg den.

A tannish-brown tom emerged from behind it, a few dark green leaves clinging insistently to his pelt. His paws and belly were white, as well as bands of white on his pelt. He had big, brown eyes, wide and shining with curiosity

"Hello!" he meowed, taking a step closer to him. He didn't seem afraid, Hollyshade thought. That was a start.

Dovesong flicked her tail, glancing back at Hollyshade. The white she-cat seemed to want Hollyshade to do the talking. Hollyshade nodded and stepped forward.

"Greetings," she began. "I am Hollyshade. These are Dovesong, Sunfeather, Reggie and Smokey." She pointed with her plumy tail to each cat in turn. The tom just nodded eagerly, as if he knew what she was going to say and wanted her to finish quickly, so he could join them. Hollyshade mentally shook her head. Of course he wouldn't know. She should stop being silly.

"We are part of a group. In our group, there was a kit named Dew. Last night, Dew was stolen by a Death Rogue," Hollyshade continued confidently. No fear flashed through the tom's brown eyes. He didn't seem to know the rogues.

"The Death Rogues are an evil group of cats that like to murder for fun. We're really worried about what they might do to Dew, and we need him back. There's a problem though," Hollyshade meowed.

"You don't have enough cats," breathed the tom. He seemed to positively glow with excitement and happiness. "And you want me to join your group."

Hollyshade blinked in surprise. The tom had caught on quickly. "Will you join us?" she asked nervously. Her worry was wasted, however.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "There's nothing I would like more! I'm sick of my house cat life, and I want an adventure for once."

Hollyshade grew serious. "This isn't just an adventure. This is dangerous." The sun was setting now, shades of pink and orange glowing in the sky. "Anyone could be killed by these vicious rogues, including you." She also glanced back at Reggie and Smokey. They seemed slightly scared, but more courageous than anything else.

The tom just nodded. "I'm in. My name's Peanut!" He gave his chest fur a couple of licks.

"Great," Hollyshade meowed. "We'd best be getting back to meet the others now." She glanced back at Dovesong and Sunfeather. They nodded.

-o0o-

By the time the group arrived back at the alley, Hollyshade was tired to the bone. But adrenaline flowed through her, giving her the strength she would need to rescue Dew.

As Hollyshade entered the room - which was quite crowded - she noticed three plump mice on the ground. She looked up to see Honey, Fletch, Isabelle, Blackie and another cat she didn't know gazing at her excitedly.

"Hollyshade! We found Isabelle, Blackie and another cat!" Fletch exclaimed. "We'll trash those rogues!"

Hollyshade nodded, amused. "I can see. We found some toms, Reggie, Smokey and Peanut." Sunfeather entered the room behind her, followed by the new toms. Dovesong was last.

Hollyshade lifted her head to study the tom that Honey had recruited. He had a gleaming white pelt with brown streaks and warm golden eyes.

Dovesong let out a gasp from behind them. Hollyshade didn't understand why, but the tom seemed slightly familiar. She frowned. "Who's this?" she asked.

The tom didn't appear to recognise them, gazing coolly at the group with his golden eyes. Honey opened her mouth to reply, but was beaten to it.

"He said he's called Snow!" Fletch meowed eagerly. Hollyshade heard Dovesong shift uneasily behind her.

"Welcome to the group, Snow," she meowed warmly. "Now, I have a plan. So…"

The group gathered in to listen. Hollyshade was confident that they would win this battle.

**AN: 3191 words! :D So awesome! First of all, thank you to Ginnystar for Peanut, Reggie and Smokey! I'm really sorry about them. D:**

**OH OH OH and I wrote a one-shot about Dovesong, called Say You Like Me. Read it NOW. It should make sense. And the next chapter should be in Dovesong's POV.**

**I'm really sorry it took so long, I just went back to school, so I didn't feel like writing. Before you ask, I live in Australia so school times are different. -bows-**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I love seeing all those emails in my inbox! :D**

**-Issy**


	12. Chapter 12

__**AN: Please.. if you haven't already read 'Say You Like Me', please do so, because then this will make sense. DO IT NOW! :C**

**And now, if you're back from reading it, continue on! :D**

* * *

_No! It can't be! But he's dead!_

The thoughts echoed through Dovesong's mind as she followed Hollyshade along the darkened streets. Far away, a dog was barking and in a nearby tree an owl hooted eerily. Her gaze flicked once again through the crowd of cats, searching for the one with the white pelt streaked with brown.

_No… he… but the fire…_

Dovesong was at the back of the group. The group consisted of Hollyshade, Sunfeather, Snow, Blackie, Isabelle, Fletch, Honey, Reggie, Peanut, Smokey and herself. Isabelle was furthest behind the leader, apart from Dovesong. Isabelle glanced back at her, creamy pelt glowing in the moonlight.

_I…_

Isabelle had dropped behind to talk to Dovesong. The group was travelling at a fast pace, streaking along the streets. Their destination was the Southern Death Rogues' warehouse.

"What's up with you?" asked Isabelle curiously. "You seem a bit out of it." The cold air was chilling Dovesong to the bone.

_How did he survive?_

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just worried about the coming battle," Dovesong lied. In truth, she wasn't worried at all. She was an IvyClan warrior, born and bred to fight.

"Ah. Well I am too; but luckily my parents taught me some fighting moves when I was younger," Isabelle chattered. Dovesong wasn't really paying attention; her mind was whirling with her latest discovery.

_It's not him. I bet he's just a city rogue. After all, no one else escaped it… _

She shuddered at the thought, and nodded absently when Isabelle looked at her expectantly. The kittypet seemed satisfied, and began to chatter again. The whole group was talking amongst themselves, but not so loudly as to alert other cats. They were drawing nearer to a large building; seemingly the warehouse that the rogues lived in.

"… and I really wanted to say yes, but I didn't know how!" Isabelle was exclaiming. Dovesong murmured her sympathy.

"Are you listening to me?" Isabelle asked. She was looking at Dovesong expectantly again.

_What a coincidence, his pelt looks so similar…_

"Sorry, I'm still worried." Dovesong tried her best to look ashamed. Her paws were beginning to hurt from the cold stone the group was walking on.

"That's okay, Dovechirp. It was Dovechirp, wasn't it?" Isabelle looked sincere, so Dovesong had to stop from bursting out with laughter.

"Dovesong," was all she said, but inside she was hysterically laughing.

_Dovechirp is such a strange name._

Isabelle nodded, looking unfazed. "That does sound nicer. Hey, I think we're nearly there!" Dovesong turned to look in front of her. The dark grey warehouse loomed in front of them, illuminated by the golden street lights. There were several monsters prowling along the Thunderpaths, but they wouldn't trouble the cats.

_Let's get Dew back. If only I could get _him _back…_

Hollyshade halted the group, gazing up at the warehouse for a moment. Then she turned around with steely determination flashing in her eyes.

"Alright," Hollyshade hissed quietly. "You all know the plan?" The cats nodded; expressions of fear, anger and determination on their faces, as well as excitement. "Well let's go. I think…" Hollyshade glanced around the group, her blue eyes glowing in the dimness.

"Dovesong, you'll go and look for Dew while we distract them. If you need help, we'll send someone else too." Dovesong nodded, snapping out of her daze. The moment had finally come, after they had waited all day.

_Hollyshade trusts me with Dew's life. I can't let her down. Or Dew, for that matter. _

Isabelle was gazing at her admirably; then turned her attention back to the group. Dovesong did the same, stalking along the hard ground towards the entrance. Sunfeather and Hollyshade were at the front. They would dispatch of the guards; then the rest would stream in silently. Silently, like the shadows.

_I can do this. _

There were two guards sitting near the entrance. They were a dark colour, blending in with the night. The only thing that alerted Dovesong to their presence was two pairs of glowing golden eyes. Sunfeather stalked low along the ground, heading for the guard on the right. Hollyshade was creeping towards the guard on the left, leaving the rest of the group waiting in the shadows.

The group was hiding behind some Twoleg monsters, peering out from behind them. There was no sound as Hollyshade swiftly slashed her paw through the air, striking the left guard. He collapsed from the blow to the head, crumpling onto the ground. The second guard had no time to react before Sunfeather did the same.

Hollyshade signalled with her tail to the rest of the group. They streamed forwards, paws skimming across the ground with almost no sound at all.

_I'm not scared. _

Dovesong was beginning to get worried as they flowed through the entrance. The smell of the rogues overwhelmed her, and she struggled not to breathe heavily. She guessed that Dew was at the back of the warehouse.

The first thing she noticed was that there were boxes strewn around. Dovesong assumed that these were dens, for the rogues to sleep in. They were slightly dilapidated, almost appearing slumped on the ground. The second things she noticed were the high windows on the walls, allowing light to enter. But at the moment, the warehouse was dim. The moon had been hidden by a dark layer of clouds.

The warehouse was colossal in size. The roof was high in the air, many tree-lengths above their heads. The opposite wall seemed twice the height of the roof away.

_Let's get a move on._

The group separated and stood their ground, waiting for someone to notice them. If possible, they wanted to escape without fighting. But they all knew that wouldn't happen. Hollyshade glanced back at Dovesong, silently telling her to go.

_Alright, let's go then. _

Dovesong crept forwards, moving swiftly through the group of cats and in front of them, aiming for a small box on the far wall of the massive warehouse.

So far, everything was okay. As Dovesong crept through the warehouse, the soft sounds of sleeping cats reached her ears. It was hard to think that she was in the domain of a bunch of murderous cats. That scared her a tiny bit. Dovesong tensed, waiting for a yowl of alarm. But none came.

She was halfway across the warehouse floor. None of the rescuing cats had moved from their defensive positions. Dovesong guessed that there were many more than their eleven, but there might be enough to defend.

_Nearly there, keep going!_

A loud yowl rang through the air. It was soon echoed by many others. Dovesong panicked and raced towards the box that she thought Dew was in. The sounds of fighting cats filled her ears, and fear rushed over her. She was about to make it to the box.

_I'm so close!_

The moon broke free of the clouds. Moonlight spilled through the windows, illuminatingthe whole battle. Screeching cats had filled the room, clawing and biting each other, one side intent on the death of the other.

Dovesong scrambled to a halt in front of the box. She panted with relief and exhilaration, unsheathing her claws.

Just as she thought she was safe, a black shape leaped out of the box. Dovesong yowled in surprise, hearing her yowl returned from inside the box. Dew was in there!

Time seemed to slow down. Screeches faded to distant noises. The black shape hurtled at her, claws outstretched. It was a black-furred tom with bright golden eyes that glowed with malice. The moon illuminated the sadistic smile on his face. Then with a jolt, time returned to normal and he landed on Dovesong.

She let out a panicked yowl, rolling over to try and knock him off her back. But he knew that was coming, so he leaped into the air and landed on her when her belly was exposed. Then he raked his hind legs down. Dovesong let out a yowl of absolute pain and retaliated as best she could.

She used her hind legs to push up underneath him. With all her strength, she sent him flying through the air. He disappeared from sight in the crowd of fighting cats. Dovesong turned back to Dew, rushing forwards. Her scratches were dripping blood on the floor.

"Dew!" Dovesong called anxiously. "Dew, are you in there?"

A relieved mew sounded from inside. "Dovesong! Please, get me out of here!" he squeaked. His fear scent flooded from inside the box.

"Don't worry, Dew, I will." She started to claw at the box, after finding that it was somehow blocked from inside. Her thorn-sharp claws shredded the strange material, sending scraps fluttering onto the hard ground. She thought she was safe, and let her guard down again.

A shadow loomed in front of her, dark against the box. Dovesong froze, terrified. Then the shadow moved.

Quick as lightning, Dovesong leaped to the left, turning around to face her opponent. It was the black tom once more, and this time he had a glow of madness in his eyes. He had more wounds than he had left with.

_Not again!_

"No one gets away from Fang that easily," he growled. It sounded like rumbling thunder. Then he sprang as fast as the wind, with his claws glinting. This time, Dovesong was ready for his attack, ducking. As he soared over her, she threw herself into the air. His claws scraped over her back, and she gritted her teeth in agony. Then she collided with his stomach, letting out a grunt.

Fang let out a pained cry, falling to the ground. He appeared to be winded, so Dovesong leaped at him and pinned him down.

_What do I do? An honourable warrior doesn't kill unless they have to. _

The tom glared up at her, sneering with uncontrollable hate. His bravado was ruined by his loud wheezing.

_But I have to, because he'll stop me from taking Dew. _

"Hurry up, kittypet. Kill me, I dare you," he rasped, smiling.

_I…_

Taking advantage of her distraction, Fang wriggled out of her grasp like a slimy fish. He raced into the battle, leaving her standing there, bewildered. She supposed it was time to rescue Dew again.

"Stand as far back as you can!" she called to the kit. He let out a muffled mew of agreement. He shuffled over to the right of the box. Dovesong could tell by his tiny claws scraping on the box floor. She knew what she was about to do was risky, but it was the only way to get him out fast enough.

_Now!_

Dovesong launched herself at the left of the box, smashing into it with all the force she had left. The box crumpled into folds. Dew let out a squeak. Dovesong ignored it, lying there slightly winded. Her wounds were draining her energy, fast. One of the pieces moved, and Dew scrambled out from underneath it.

He looked so different from the happy kit he had been a day ago. Now his eyes were wild with terror for what he couldn't see, and his moonlight-bleached white fur was sticking up in all directions. Dovesong scrambled to her paws and rushed over to him.

She covered him in licks. "Dew, it's alright, it's okay. You're safe now, no one will hurt you." Dew squeaked; too scared to say anything. His eyes stared off into the distance, filled with horror.

"Well I hate to break up this happy reunion, but I'm here to kill you," growled a voice. Dovesong whipped around to face the newcomer.

It was a small creamy she-cat with a brown muzzle, tail, paws and ears. Her eyes were a light, icy blue. She leaped.

Dovesong scrambled out of the way, as fast as she could. Now was the time to go. She dived for Dew's scruff, yanking him off the ground and racing away.

_I got him!_

Dovesong could see the main battle slowing, many cats lying injured and unconscious on the ground. Suddenly, a wave of fatigue washed over her, leaving her gasping for air. The she-cat was coming after Dovesong again, and she wasn't sure that she had the strength to run away.

She couldn't see any of Hollyshade's group on the ground the few left inside were still fighting for Dew. Dovesong raced towards the entrance, bristling with terror at the sound of pawsteps thudding behind her.

A screech came from behind her, and the sound of a scuffle. Dovesong was relieved; she wasn't sure she had the strength to go on.

Spots danced at the edge of her vision. Glancing back, she realised that the wounds on her stomach from Fang were leaving a crimson trail behind her. She was losing too much blood.

_I'm so sorry Dew, I can't go any further._

She fell to the ground with a thud, hearing Dew's squeak of protest. She lay there for a moment, feeling the world slipping away from her. The last thing Dovesong saw was a blurry white shape with brown streaks hurtling towards her.

_Northlight._

* * *

**Ooh.. Northlight! :D I know the name is kinda weird, but I like it. What a cliffie, eh? **_  
_

**Please review! **

**-Issy**


	13. Chapter 13

As she stepped outside, the first thing Hollyshade felt was triumph. It coursed through her body, sending shivers down her spine. Although her wounds bled freely, nothing could dampen the feeling of success that she had at that moment.

The silver tabby began to count the members of her group, gazing with pride at each and every one of them. They were walking across a large, cracked Thunderpath. Monsters rested on it, and there was only one asleep there now. Moonlight shone down on the party of cats.

_Reggie._

Hollyshade's gaze fell on the black tom. Although he was a joker, he turned out to be quite a vicious fighter.

_Peanut._

The brown tom was padding almost at the head of the group, right behind Hollyshade. He held his head up high, and his wide brown eyes shone with exhilaration.

_Smokey._

The tom's pelt was stained with crimson blood, but its shades shone through. He was walking with a spring in his step.

_Isabelle._

She looked exhausted, and blood was all over her. But Hollyshade could tell it wasn't her own by the way she was energetically chatting to…

_Sunfeather. _

Hollyshade was relieved to see that the golden she-cat was safe. Her amber eyes were filled with pain, but she was okay.

_Blackie. _

The tom was walking with a limp, and he looked like he would fall over at any time. Hollyshade flicked her tail to Sunfeather, who hurried over to the kittypet and let him rest on her side.

_Fletch. _

The sandy-coloured tom had only minor scratches. Hollyshade felt extremely proud of him.

_Honey. _

The dark golden she-cat had several deep scratches, but nothing that wouldn't heal with the help of her garden's herbs.

_Wait… _

Hollyshade realised with a start that there were three cats not with the group. In the chaos of the battle, they had to leave without counting members. Now, crouched in a dry garden bed, Hollyshade realised that they were short of members.

"Dovesong, Snow, Dew?" she called, wondering if she had missed them. "Where are you?" She glanced around frantically, scanning the moonlit area. Hollyshade had already started to worry. "Stay here," she hissed to the rest of the group. "I'll go back and look for them."

No one else seemed concerned, obviously confident that the absent cats were okay. They settled down to lick their wounds without as much as a glance towards the warehouse. Hollyshade frowned and trotted towards the warehouse, soon breaking into a run.

As she neared the entrance, she stopped in surprise. Snow was hauling Dovesong through the doorway, panting with exhaustion. Dew was trailing behind them. And Dovesong was lying unconscious, blood welling up in her wounds.

Hollyshade dashed over to them and sniffed Dovesong frantically. She was really worried for her friend.

"What happened?" she gasped.

Snow looked at her strangely. "Dovesong collapsed on the ground just before she could reach the entrance," he explained. Something in his voice seemed so familiar it gave Hollyshade a pang of heartbreak for IvyClan, AspenClan and HazelClan.

_Déjà vu, much? _Hollyshade thought.

"Thank you for rescuing her. The group didn't even notice you were gone," Hollyshade meowed gratefully.

"Don't thank me," Snow meowed. "Now pick up that kit, and let's leave before they come after us."

Hollyshade didn't like being ordered around, but she dipped her head obediently and bent down to pick up Dew.

The little kit looked terrified. Hollyshade doubted he would ever forget this experience. And neither would she. This was the first step towards building a new Clan. This experience would bond them together tightly.

They made their way over to the group. Snow's white-and-brown pelt was glowing in the dawn light, as was Dovesong's and Dew's. Hollyshade marvelled for a moment over how pretty white pelts were. Then she snapped back to the present.

Sunfeather looked up, surprised. "Hollyshade! What happened?" she gasped.

"Dovesong collapsed inside the warehouse," Hollyshade explained tiredly. The rest of the group were anxiously gazing at Dovesong, worry clear in their eyes. These cats were united now, united as one.

"Now come on, let's go back," Snow meowed impatiently.

Hollyshade nodded and began rounding up the cats. "How about you all stay back at our den? That way the Death Rogues won't be able to pick you off by yourselves. And we have plenty of room," Hollyshade added.

"I have plenty of herbs to treat your wounds," Honey announced cheerfully. Hollyshade wistfully thought about how much easier their journey would be with a medicine cat.

"You're all welcome," Hollyshade finished. Every cat nodded, agreeing to come. They all looked happier now that they knew they had a safe place to stay.

-o0o-

Hollyshade was sitting in the entrance of the abandoned nest. The sounds of sleeping cats echoed from behind her, making her feel safe. She gazed up at the moon, even though she was supposed to be keeping guard.

Dovesong was fine. Honey knew just the right herbs for slight stomach wounds and she used cobwebs from an old log in her garden to stop the bleeding.

A sound behind her distracted Hollyshade from the moon; she frowned. Slowly and quietly, she turned around and peered inside. Through the gloom it was hard to see what was going on, but the two white pelts stood out the most.

It was Snow and Dovesong. The white cats were murmuring quietly to each other. Hollyshade frowned again. What business did Snow have with Dovesong?

Suddenly, Snow's voice rose. "What? That's great, Dovesong!" he exclaimed. Almost immediately after the outburst, he shoved his tail in his mouth.

But Hollyshade's curiosity was too much for her. She had to go and see what had happened. Slowly, she took several steps inside the nest. Dovesong and Snow looked up at the sound of her paws.

"What's going on?" Hollyshade whispered.

Snow looked fondly at Dovesong. Hollyshade was confused. What _was _going on?

"Hollyshade…" Dovesong began, looking overjoyed. "Hollyshade, I'm with kits."

"What?!" Hollyshade shouted. The cats around them began to stir. Hollyshade mentally scolded herself and waited until the other cats had gone back to sleep.

"What? How?" she whispered again. Dovesong let out a purr.

"When we were back at camp," the white she-cat whispered.

"But… who's the father?" Hollyshade asked, confused. Snow was watching proudly. "Wait a minute…" she narrowed her eyes.

"That's right. It's Snow. Snow is the father. Or should I say, _Northlight," _Dovesong purred loudly.

Hollyshade gasped. Suddenly, all the pieces fell together. Dovesong and Northlight had become mates a half moon or so before the fire came. How could Hollyshade not recognise her own Clanmate?

Perhaps it was the slightly haunted look in his eyes, or how much darker his coat had become. Even though Northlight's coat was white, it seemed a lot dirtier than back at camp. And maybe because of all the stress Hollyshade didn't recognise him.

"Northlight," Hollyshade said. The name sounded unfamiliar. "Northlight… welcome back."

Northlight nodded gratefully, conveying all of his emotion through his golden eyes.

Hollyshade sighed. "Well, congratulations, Dovesong," she purred. But all she could think about was the delay this would cause in building their new Clan.

"I'd better get some sleep," Hollyshade muttered.

Northlight nodded. "I'll stand guard," he meowed.

Hollyshade responded with a flick of her tail. She trotted over to the 'couch' and jumped up. She curled into a ball and rested her head on her paws.

-o0o-

"_Hollyshade…"_

_The voice seemed to come from all around her. _

"_Hollyshade, wake up," came the voice again. _

_The silver she-cat blinked, opening her eyes. She was in a starry forest. Standing in front of her was a sandy coloured tom with green eyes. Stars were entwined in his fur._

"_Fallenstar!" Hollyshade gasped. "Father, I miss you!" She hadn't realised it before, but she truly missed having her father around for her. _

_Fallenstar's eyes shone with warmth. "Well done, Hollyshade. You did the right thing, rescuing Dew. That little kit could mean a lot to the future of your new Clan. And you're going well there, too," Fallenstar meowed. "But you'll have to leave the Twolegplace soon."_

_Hollyshade nodded slowly. "I see… Father, Dovesong is expecting kits." Tiredness coursed through her. Hollyshade was sick of all this worry and stress. How much longer could she keep going? _

"_I know." Fallenstar smiled. "That shouldn't delay you too much, only if you make good time now and move out of Twolegplace."_

_Hollyshade nodded again. "I understand, father." _

_Fallenstar trotted up to her and pressed his pelt against hers. It felt cool and comforting. Fallenstar smelled like frost and night. _

"_And one more thing," Fallenstar continued wistfully. He looked down at her. "Beware the one that is taller than all." _

_Hollyshade glanced at him, confused as always. "What is that supposed to mean?"_

_Fallenstar shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you. But I'm sure you'll figure it out. I have to go now." _

_Hollyshade sighed. "I miss you," she said, as the dream began to fade. Hollyshade saw an apprentice run up to Fallenstar. _

"_Come on, there's a meeting!" the apprentice meowed. It was Splashpaw, a bright young she-cat that used to be part of IvyClan. _

_The dream faded until they were nothing more than transparent outlines. Fallenstar nodded and fixed Hollyshade with his green gaze. _

-o0o-

**AN: So sorry for the shortness and the long time it took to update. I've been really, really busy lately, so. Many. Tests. :O **

**But anyway, who remembers Splashpaw from the first or second chapter? When Hollyshade said that she saw Splashpaw in Berryflower's den getting herbs? :D Reappearance! **

**Please review, I don't really like this fic anymore. I have another, a better one called 'When The Earth Began To Tremble'. I'm sure you'll like it. I also have a short chapter fic, but I don't think I'll post it on this site. **

**So anyway, please review and make my day. ^-^**

**Issy. **


End file.
